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Welcome to the Autumn 2024 issue of the Biox’News ! 🍂   We are about to sail into a world where innovation and nature become one, shaping the industrialized societies of tomorrow. This is Bioxegy’s daily mission. 🌏✨   However, this mission cannot be accomplished overnight. This story began almost 7 years ago for Bioxegy, and we would like for it to continue together. That is precisely what this newsletter is all about ! 🚀📚 ✨ A message from Sidney Rostan, CEO & Founder of Bioxegy Dear reader,   This summer, we attained major milestones that deserve to be celebrated. In this issue, I would like to reflect on some of these achievements that have made our team so proud ! For example, we passed a turning point is 100 bio-inspired R&D projects, a French and international record, which confirms our role as a leader in biomimicry. Our international expansion, particularly in Germany, has been successfully strengthened.   In terms of awards, it was with great pleasure that we received an honorable mention for the 2024 Public Work Prize alongside our partner NGE for our innovations in sustainable construction. We were also finalists in the Stellantis Venture Awards for our work bio-inspired algorithms !   But trophies are nothing without a golden team. In this newsletter, you will also discover the new talents we have recruited, including communications and strategic marketing profiles (a first for Bioxegy, whose aim is to stay as close as possible to its partners’ needs) !  Finally, you will discover how we are accelerating the development of our in-house bio-inspired technologies in order to respond more rapidly to our clients’ technological needs.   On behalf of the team, I would like to express my pride in seeing this adventure continue so dynamically. We would like to graciously thank all the people who have supported us and our clients for their trust. See you soon with new and exciting announcements !   Sidney. 📢 WHAT’S NEW: A look back on Bioxegy’s highlights in recent months ! 🚀 Internationalization: lighting fast acceleration! Bioxegy continues to win over more and more companies, both in France and abroad. We now collaborate with prestigious industrial partners such as L'Oréal, Suez, Lacroix Défense, Groupe Roullier, Wienerberger and Citeo !  🚀   This expansion is increasing particularly in Germany where our teams are reinforcing their presence with more and more ambitious projects! Our first step is to meet these partners at major trade shows such as IAA and Innotrans , for example . 🇩🇪 It does not stop there: collaborations with clients like Yamaha from Japan 🇯🇵 testify to our ability to deploy innovative projects that are adapted to specific challenges of each market. 🗾 D o you want to collaborate on a bio-inspired R&D project with us? ➡️ Contact us ⬅️ 🌏 Recruiting to support our growth !   To support our ambitions and respond to the increasing need for bio-inspired innovation, Bioxegy continues to expand its teams. 💪 Recently, three new (and brilliant) engineers, Julie, Clémence and Rémi have joined our science department. Their goal is identical to our primary mission: learn from nature’s enginuity and transform these discoveries into impactful industrial innovations! 🔬    We are also reinforcing our marketing and communications department with two new recruits, Eva and Kiara. Their mission? Increase Bioxegy’s visibility and refine our offers to better meet our client’s technical challenges. 📊   And the cherry on top? 🍒 48% of our team is made up of women, a wonderful step forward for our company (especially in an originally very male-dominated engineering sector) ! ⚖️  Do you want to join a dynamic team and contribute the our future endeavors ?  ➡️ Discover our offers and apply ⬅️ 🛠️ Boosting our bio-inspired technologies ! At Bioxegy, we are bursting with ambition! We have stepped up the development of our bio-inspired technologies, created entirely in-house, with a clear goal: to bring our concepts to maturity and respond in a new way to today’s challenges.💡   Our mission is clear: to register patents and offer licenses to our partners, while affirming Bioxegy’s reputation as an inventor and developer of innovative technologies . 🧠   But that’s not all! We also plan on marketing the products directly, in collaboration with manufacturers, with the potential of spin-offs dedicated to these innovative technologies.🔧 🖥️ Bioxegy is going into turbo mode with its cutting-edge tools ! As part of our R&D projects, we are using Dassault’s 3D Experience suite more and more to carry out our mechanical, fluid dynamics and thermal simulations, thereby raising the quality and accuracy of our solutions.   Combined with Synera , we can offer our industrial partners even more cutting-edge, high-performance bio-inspired solutions! 🔥   To complete our arsenal of tools, we have integrated AI and automation tools like Make , allowing us to improve the efficiency of our internal processes, from scientific research to administrative and sales management.⏱️ 🏗️ AT THE HEART OF BIOXEGY’S WORK: Our RATP project As you know… RATP , Paris and its regional urban transport operator manages a vast underground network where air renewal, for both staff and passengers, is a crucial issue. This is where Bioxegy comes in , working on improving the system’s ventilation system to ensure better air circulation. 🌬️   One of the areas of improvement identified concerns smoke extraction fans , which are essential for evacuating air but not often used due to the noise that they generate, especially when close to inhabited areas. That’s where our bio-inspired expertise came into play !💡   Humpback whales are marine mammals with flippers equipped with tubercules at the leading edge. These create vortices that control the flow of the water, increasing lift and thus hydrodynamic efficiency. These characteristics make the humpback whale very agile and unobtrusive despite their size. 🐋 Taking this principle and transposing it to the design of a fan, we came up with the idea of adding tubercules to the leading edges of the RATP’s fans. Our aim is to significantly reduce noise pollution all the while improving aerodynamic efficiency. Advanced computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations demonstrated an impressive airflow improvements of up to 5% at constant speed! 🔊 Do you also wish to find solutions to your problems using bio-inspired technologies ? No matter your sector, Bioxegy can boost your R&D ! ➡️ Biomimicry in your sector ⬅️ LET’S LEARN FROM IT: The Eiffel Tower, a bio-inspired masterpiece! With the Paris 2024 Olympics now behind us, the Eiffel Tower has once again shone under the world’s spotlight. An iconic symbol of France, it is admired for its grandeur and imposing structure. However, few people know that this icon is also a feat of bio-inspired architecture, directly influenced by… the human femur ! 🤯 When designing the Tower, Gustave Eiffel wanted a structure that was both light and incredibly stable. To achieve this, he drew inspiration from the femur, the longest bone in the human body, which distributes weight and forces optimally yet is very light.💡 TLike the femur, the Eiffel Tower distributes weight and forces very efficiently. The metal pillars and beams of which it is composed, function like the bone trabeculae of the femur, which are oriented in the direction of the lines of mechanical force to which the bone is subjected. This enables the tower to withstand strong winds and remain stable despite its height of 324 meters.  🏗️   To this day, this architectural feat continues to influence engineers and architects all over the world. The Eiffel Tower , which has stood the test of time and technological revolutions, remains an enduring testament to the effectiveness of biomimicry in modern engineering!✨   Votre entreprise innove ? Osez le biomimétisme avec Bioxegy !

Program of the Spring 2024 Biox'News 🍴: Make hay in May! In this spirit, we're excited to share our latest -and quite delightful- updates in our Spring 2024 Biox'News ! 1. Mark your calendars: Biomim'Expo is coming up, and we'll be there !👀 2. Read up on our collaboration with Alphi, which has sparked a bio-inspired innovation poised to revolutionize the construction industry! 👷 3. Discover FinX, where the mechanics of dolphin fins inspire the design of tomorrow's boat engines! 🐬 📢 What's up ? 2024 is off to a flying start ! 🚀 In the spring, the trade show season is open: see you at the Biomim'Expo! At the beginning of the year, we had the pleasure of participating in several leading trade shows, including Techinnov' and Global Industrie in Paris, as well as prestigious international events such as the Hannover Fair in Germany! 🌍   We love these moments! They provide perfect opportunities to share our passion for biomimicry and forge relationships with future partners for innovative projects. 🤝 Don't miss our next event on June 11th and 12th! We will be at Biomim'Expo , the must-attend annual event for everyone involved in biomimicry, at the Parc Floral in Paris! 🌺   Come and meet us at our stand to discover our latest bio-inspired innovations and explore the wonders of nature! Looking to contact us? 👉 Click here 🌏 Our European project heads for Spain!   After England and Portugal, Bioxegy continues its European tour! This time, Bioxegy has headed for Spain, extending its avant-garde research on the CSTO2NE project! This Europe-wide project aims to revolutionize construction by integrating CO2 capture into building materials. How so? By drawing on the ingenuity of microplankton and crustaceans - nature's geniuses who could well teach us a thing or two about sustainable construction... 🌿 This month-long stay at the University of Lleida, an hour's drive from Barcelona, has enabled in-depth exchanges with partner laboratories on hot topics such as the thermal properties of our materials! 🔥 This experience has not only enabled our team to deepen its knowledge in cutting-edge research fields but also to familiarize itself with emerging innovations. This consolidates our status as forerunners in the art of building bio-inspired, greener, and smarter technologies!💡 Want to know more about CSTO2NE? 👉 Click here 🖥️ Bioxegy boosts its 3D modeling performance!    At Bioxegy, we're taking biomimetic engineering to a whole new level by adopting   SYNERA , a 3D modeling software straight from a German startup! 🇩🇪 This tool excels at modeling complex geometries, greatly facilitating parametric optimization and generative design. SYNERA unlocks optimized designs, respecting specific criteria such as weight reduction. 👌 This new collaboration is like upgrading from a horse-drawn carriage to a rocket ship in terms of speed! It considerably reduces our time spent on modeling and prototyping, and enables us to respond more quickly and precisely to our customers' complex projects. A dream come true for inventors like us! 🤩 🏗️ AT THE HEART OF BIOXEGY'S BUSINESS | Our project with Alphi Here's a look back at our ingenious project in collaboration with Alphi to reinvent formwork, a key element in the construction industry. The construction industry faces many challenges, particularly in terms of material efficiency and durability. One recurring problem is the adhesion of concrete milt to the aluminum beams and formwork used on construction sites, making them extremely laborious to clean. 💪 In response to this problem, Bioxegy, commissioned by Alphi, the formwork specialist, has developed a fascinating biomimetic innovation! Bioxegy was inspired by the nanometric roughness of the lotus leaf, renowned for its super-hydrophobic effects. This means the contact angle between the water and the surface exceeds 150°, preventing water from adhering to the surface! We've developed an environmentally friendly chemical treatment, for which the formula has been patented! Here's how it works: it replicates the texturing of the lotus leaf surface through erosion during soaking. This process gives the aluminum surface self-cleaning capabilities! Amazing, isn't it? 🌟 The proof of concept for this solution, developed in collaboration with Navier Lab has proven its effectiveness by reducing milt adhesion by up to 7 times, demonstrating, if proof were needed, the practicality, effectiveness and durability of biomimetic solutions! 😎 Would you like to use bio-inspiration to solve your technical problems? Regardless of your sector, Bioxegy can boost your R&D! 🐬 LET'S TAKE A LEAF OUT OF IT | A fin inspires the boat of the future Meet FinX, a pioneer in biomimicry for the boating industry! Inspired by the agility and speed of dolphins, whose performance owes to the undulating dance of their tail fins, FinX has developed a revolutionary technology for boat engines.😱 At the heart of this feat is a flexible elastomer membrane, driven by the vibrations of an electric motor. This technical ballet causes the membrane to undulate, creating propulsion through the Venturi effect, which allows the boat to move forward without the usual whirl of a propeller. 🌀 This approach, borrowed from nature, boasts numerous advantages: goodbye to dangerous propellers, and hello to silent operation and increased energy efficiency. 😴 FinX is thus developing a growing range of motors suitable for all types of vessels, from small boats to the most complex marine applications. 🛥️🚤 Cherry on top: this breakthrough innovation will be showcased at the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games!🎉 Is your company innovating?  Start using biomimicry with Bioxegy!

Biomimicry is an innovation method that has already had resounding success during its history. We invite you here to review the five most emblematic examples which have contributed to making biomimicry known as a successful method of innovation to the general public. The first emblematic example of biomimicry: Velcro Velcro, a very famous technology Velcro is arguably the most famous example of biomimicry. It is a closing system with a simple mechanics: on one side a surface on which are arranged hundreds of small hooks, on the other surface hundreds of small curls cover it. When the two surfaces are pressed together, the hooks grip the loops and form a reliable, reversible and solid closure system. It is a system that has the advantage of being able to be undone quite easily if sufficient force is exerted, while being perfectly reusable. Depending on the materials used for the hooks and loops, Velcro is capable of withstanding impressive forces: did you know that a square of 5 centimeters of Velcro side is capable of supporting 80kg! These properties have given Velcro a wide variety of applications, ranging from school sneakers to NASA shuttles! Burdock: the biological inspiration behind Velcro Velcro is an exemplary case of biomimicry as it relies on the burdock dissemination technique, a common plant on the countryside. The fruit of burdock, which contains its valuable seeds, is covered with small hooks. When passing furry animals, burdock fruits cling to their fur and are thus disseminated at distances of several tens of kilometers: an ingenious way for an immobile plant to conquer new territories by exploiting the mobility of animals! This dissemination strategy is called zoochory, and was directly at the origin of the invention of Velcro through biomimicry. How and by whom was Velcro invented? In 1941, the Swiss engineer George de Mestral returns from a hunting trip. His dog, Milka, who spent her morning hanging out in the brush, has her hair densely covered in burdock fruit. Removing them one by one requires George de Mestral a lot of patience. He had all the time to observe the operation of those tenacious little fruits. Out of curiosity, he analyses some of them under the microscope and notices that their hooks are deformable and return to their initial position when plucking them from the hairs. That's how he got the idea to make a quick closing system, which will become one of the most emblematic examples of biomimicry! The second key example: the Shinkansen The Shinkansen, an aerodynamic Japanese train The Shinkansen, famous Japanese train, forerunner high-speed lines, is undoubtedly the second most emblematic example of biomimicry. Circulating at more than 300 km/h, it is one of the most reliable trains in the world. On the island of Honshū, it connects the districts of the Tokyo agglomeration (the most populated city in the world with its 37 million inhabitants), to the cities of Nagoya and Osaka in a very dense urban continuum and more importantly, in a very rugged geological environment. The route of the Shinkansen lines therefore includes many tunnels to cross cities and mountains. However, it turns out that every time it entered a tunnel at high speed, the Shinkansen generated a shock wave causing significant noise pollution. However, in the context of very strong urbanisation of the Japanese population since the end of the Second World War, the problems of noise pollution have become increasingly important over time. Since the 1980s, it became essential to find a solution to the noise pollution of the Shinkansen in such a densely populated area. The kingfisher, the origin of the optimisation of the Shinkansen The kingfishers (Alcedinidae family) are birds found on all continents except Antarctica. They are specialised in stalking fishing: they spend much of their time perched above shallow water and dip their beaks forward to grab small fish that venture close to the surface. A true concentrate of technologies, the kingfisher has, among many other things, an eye capable of correcting chromatic aberrations caused by light reflecting in the water. This allows him to see very clearly what is happening below the surface when we only see a reflection of the sky. However, what allowed the Japanese engineers to solve their problem is the shape of its beak. Indeed, when they split the surface of the water, these small birds manage to generate almost no splash, which allows them to reach prey more than twenty centimeters from the surface with greater speed and discretion. In calm weather, when the water surface is smooth, their hit rate is 100%. The secret of this hydrodynamics lies in the shape of its beak: long, thin, spearheaded, and streamlined in perfect continuity with the shape of his skull. It is this mouthpiece which, through biomimicry, enabled the Shinkansen engineers to solve the problem of noise pollution. In particular, Eiji Nakatsu, railway engineer who worked on the Shinkansen project, is behind this biomimicry innovation. Also an ornithologist, he had observed the kingfisher in fishing action. He noticed that the Shinkansen and the kingfisher shared similar constraints: the bird's beak, like the front of the train, suddenly encounters strong resistance. By using biomimicry, he was inspired by the shape of the beak of the kingfisher, to redesign a new nose for the Shinkansen. And the models he made confirm that this option was the right one. When it entered service in 1997, the Kingfisher-inspired Shinkansen 500 offered: A reduction in the boom at the entrance to the tunnels and a quieter running in general; A 15% reduction in power consumption; A 10% speed increase. This is an iconic example of biomimicry. It highlights one of the essential components of innovation in general, and of biomimicry in particular: multidisciplinarity. It's because Eiji Nakatsu was both an engineer and an ornithologist that he managed to transpose what he observed into an industrially applicable solution through biomimicry. The lotus' hydrophobia: one of the best-known examples of biomimicry The Lotus The sacred lotus is a water flower prevalent in a large majority of Asia. Lotuses live in colonies in shallow water. They often create a rich ecosystem of amphibians, birds and insects: their large leaves form a carpet on the surface of the water on which many organisms move by depositing solid bodies (mud, excrement, particles, etc.). However, the lotus depends on the photosynthesis of its leaves to survive. If particles prevent light from reaching the surface of its leaves, or limit it in places, it will result in a lower energy performance. Evolution led the lotus to develop an elaborate technique to optimise its energy performance: superhydrophobia. The principle is simple: the lotus leaf's surface structure prevents adhesion of particles and water, the slightest drop of water carries with it all the dirt on the surface of the leaf. Thus, the lotus leaf surface is self-cleaning. It is this feature that has inspired many innovations within biomimicry. The lotus effect: what is it? The lotus' superhydrophobia has been known for centuries but could only be explained with the invention of the electron microscope, it was only once it was understood that it could be at the origin of innovations by biomimicry. In the 1970s, the German botanist Wilhelm Barthlott solved the mystery. This is explained by villi on the surface of the leaf, themselves covered with micro-villi. This double villi structure creates a nano-scale roughness which creates very few contact points between the drops of water and the leaf and the drop “slides” over the surface, carrying with it all the micro-particles of dust or dirt. It is this nanometric structure that has inspired numerous biomimetic applications. Hydrophobia on lotus leaves versus water lily leaves This discovery de Wilhelm Barthlott gave birth to industrial applications as of the 1990s. Applications can be found in many sectors: self-cleaning paints for facades in construction, coatings for hydrophobic glass, superhydrophobic textiles and synthetic leathers, etc. Recently, solar panels reproducing this particular nanometric structure of the lotus, have been developped to obtain the self-cleaning hydrophobic effect and, like the lotus leaf, to optimise their capture of solar energy. Since the discovery of the lotus effect, we have noticed that many other plants have similar properties such as nasturtium or… leek! Shark skin: the 4th leading example of biomimicry Sharks: a rich biological organism for biomimicry Sharks have colonised all the seas and oceans of the globe. There are about 500 different species. There are many reasons for this evolutionary success. Their highly developped olfactory system allows them to spot their prey from great distances underwater. In addition to this sense of smell, they are equipped with sensory organs called “Ampullae of Lorenzini” that allow them to detect electromagnetic fields present in water as well as temperature gradients. They are thus able to spot a muscle contraction and therefore locate their prey. But there's another characteristic of sharks that gave them an advantage: their ability to move easily in water. While not all sharks actually have a hydrodynamic shape, they do have an amazing feature that allows them to greatly increase their ability to move through water with little energy expenditure: the structure of their skin. The hydrodynamics of shark skin Unexpectedly, the shark skin is very rough to the touch. Contrary to our intuition, hydrodynamics are not optimised by a perfectly smooth surface. On the contrary ! Shark skin is actually made up of a myriad of small scales which are entangled. These small scales have the particularity of having micro-grooves on their surface, which generate a sort of “film” of water which limits friction of the shark's body with the fluid. This is called a flow control technique. This is what reduces friction and allows the shark to move at low energy cost. This amazing structure has spawned a wide variety of applications in hydro- and aerodynamics. Aeronautics, is no stranger to biomimicry, took advantage of this opportunity. The aircraft manufacturer Airbus was inspired by it to develop a coating for aircrafts intended to reduce fuel consumption. The tests were very conclusive and allowed to reduce drag by 10%: which would result in fuel savings of more than 1% ! It's colossal! In 2019, Airbus announced the upcoming commercialisation of this coating which is a very eloquent example of biomimicry. But that's not all! Biomimicry has found other applications for this amazing structure of the shark skin. The scale microstructure has a height to width ratio that prevents the attachment of microorganisms, and their overgrowth. An American company, Sharklet Technologies, was inspired by these micro-grooves to create a structurally antibacterial surface. Groove pattern and size (2 microns wide and 3 microns high) prevents bacteria colonies from adhering and colonising the surface. The applications of this technology are very promising in the medical sector: for example for dressings, adhesive films (to protect surfaces), catheters, etc. Depending on the type of surface, the proliferation of bacteria is reduced by 70 to 97%! Biomimicry made it possible to imagine other applications to this shark skin structure. For the creation of swimsuits, or the design of antifouling coatings for boat hulls. After a long stay in the water, micro-organisms develop on their hull (submerged part). These can increase the drag of a boat by 30% to 50%! Today the fairing is expensive and requires the use of harmful chemicals to clean the hull and repaint it. An antifouling structure inspired by shark skin could allow better efficiency with much more limited use of chemicals! Here is another example of biomimicry that shows the diversity of applications that can be inspired of a single characteristic of life! Gecko Skin: Latest Iconic Example of Biomimicry The Gecko Do you know about geckos? They are little nocturnal lizards that often surprise us on summer evenings behind the shutters of houses in the south of France. Big eyes, a stocky body, star-shaped paws with thick fingers, and always upside down. There are many species, spread out on all continents and with very different looks. Some have the ability to copy the shape of their support to camouflage themselves, a strategy called mimicry. But they all share a common characteristic: the amazing ability to be able to walk on any vertical or sloped surface as comfortably as we can on level ground. It is not uncommon to see them running along the walls or even on a window! Gecko's paw grip The secret to this ability lies in the structure of their legs. Or rather… the hairs of their paws. Indeed, the fingers of geckos are covered with very dense microscopic hairs: the setae. There are several thousand of them per mm². Each of these hairs is branched at its end into several other small even finer hairs. The density of hair leads to an interaction on the molecular level with the support on which the gecko evolves. This molecular interaction is called “Van der Waals force”. It is a low intensity electrical interaction between atoms that creates an adhesion between the setae and surface. Thanks to these millions of hairs, the gecko is able to walk on any surface. And it is this characteristic that biomimicry tries to exploit. These hairs were discovered in 2005! Since 2005, many biomimetic innovations took inspiration from this principle to look for solutions for reversible adhesion. For example miniature robots capable of climbing on glass, or Geckskin, a structural adhesive, stickable/peelable, without adhesive substance or chemicals, which holds only by the force of Van der Waals. The gecko is famous in biomimicry because of the significant amount of ongoing research that is inspired by the structure of its legs, and by the promising prospects offered by movement on any surface. In 2015, a Stanford researcher managed to climb a glass wall thanks to an assembly of adhesive plates inspired by the paws of the gecko. These 5 emblematic examples of biomimicry are the best known to the general public, and are invariably found in all popular publications on biomimicry. They are indeed eloquent, but they are only the tip of the iceberg. Indeed, there are thousands of other bio-inspired technologies already developped, and many more to be invented! Biodiversity is an endless source of inspiration for innovation. Biomimicry is still very new in research and innovation methodology, which largely remains to be explored.

Le biomimétisme est une vraie oppotunité de développement et d'innovation pour les acteurs de la santé. Dans un marché particulièrement compétitif, il permet d'imaginer et concevoir des technologies inédites et en phase avec les défis du secteur. Your expert in biomimicry. Design and develop technologies inspired by nature's most ingenious know-hows, thanks to our biomimetic engineers. Up Boost your R&D thanks to biomimicry. Biomimicry provides sophisticated and effective solutions to your technical challenges and ambitions. Bioxegy imagines, designs and develops intelligent and sustainable bio-inspired technologies to meet your innovation objectives. We deliver an impactful and proven expertise in biomimicry. Working alongside your R&D and innovation teams, our biomimetic engineers draw inspiration from nature's most ingenious mechanisms, properties and functions. Bioxegy is one of the international pioneers of this powerful and promising engineering field. Working alongside your R&D and innovation teams, our biomimetic engineers draw inspiration from nature's most ingenious mechanisms, properties and functions. Bioxegy is one of the international pioneers of this powerful and promising engineering field. Discover Bioxegy Working alongside your R&D and innovation teams, our biomimetic engineers draw inspiration from nature's most ingenious mechanisms, properties and functions. Bioxegy is one of the international pioneers of this powerful and promising engineering field. Les apports du biomimétisme dans l'automobile sont très variés et concernent les domaines suivants : Science des matériaux Nicolas Héron R&I Senior Program Manager + Expérience utilisateur Voies d'administration des médicaments Packagings fonctionnels et durables Conditionnement Confort + Sciences thermiques Dissipation de la chaleur Optimisation des échanges thermiques Isolation thermique Efficacité énergétique + Capteurs et traitement de l'information Capteurs optiques Capteurs acoustiques Capteurs de pression Traitement d'image + Tribologie Nicolas Héron R&I Senior Program Manager + Gestion et optimisation des flux Logistique et chaine d'approvisionnement Gestion des stocks Planification de la production + Revêtement Autonettoyant Antimicrobiens et antifouling Imperméabilité Superhydrophobie Anticorrosion + Divers Bio-compatibilité Micro-robotique Pansements et sutures Chimie +

L’architecture biomimétique offre à l’homme un nouveau prisme de développement dans un monde où la restriction sur l’utilisation des ressources devient un impératif. À l’aune d’une ère plus écologique, l’architecture biomimétique ouvre une nouvelle voie pour concevoir la ville de demain. Biomimetic architecture: when the building becomes an ecosystem Biomimetic architecture offers man a new prism of development in a world where restrictions in terms of resources are becoming essential. In the light of an era of sustainable development, biomimetic architecture opens a new path for designing the city of tomorrow . Biomimetic Architecture in a constantly evolving world Biomimetic architecture , as its name indicates, is greatly linked to biomimicry (a R&D approach which consists of drawing inspiration from the ingenuity of the mechanisms, properties and functions of living beings to innovate). Biomimetic architecture is defined as a design approach following codes and rules found in the living world in order to resolve frequent problems in the field of architecture. This makes it possible to introduce into biomimetic buildings the ingenuity and multifunctionality that living beings demonstrate. Biomimetic architecture, a bridge between Man and Earth In the 21st century, the electronics and communication technology sectors are growing. At the same time, this last century has seen another rupture: that of global urbanisation. Since the mid-20th century, urban growth has literally exploded across the entire surface of the globe (56% of the current world population lives in cities compared to 70% estimated in 2050!). While in 1950, the Île-de-France region was already home to more than 6 million inhabitants, it exceeded the threshold of 10 million inhabitants in 2005, reaching more than 12 million today! On a larger scale, the world population increases each year by around 80 million people, it is estimated that the world urban population will reach 9.6 billion in 2050 ! The architecture of certain very dense cities with strong demographic growth must therefore adapt, so why not take inspiration from living things via biomimetic architecture? Be careful not to confuse design inspired by living things for aesthetic purposes with biomimetic architecture! Despite the obviously aesthetic interest in reproducing forms that remind us of the most beautiful things we observe in nature, biomimetic architecture is mainly inspired by the functionalities and properties of life to provide added value at a sustainable and functional level for innovative structures and buildings! Biomimetic Architecture facing current challenges The current high population growth poses several problems in our societies on several aspects: First, according to the UN, population growth is the “main factor driving food needs” . Indeed, non-renewable natural resources are decreasing sharply and the population is growing, this being problematic both for the populations but also at the political level, natural resources being vectors of conflicts. Then, we are currently seeing unprecedented degradation of soils and natural ecosystems , explaining, in part, the significant desertification of many territories. This is a consequence of the proliferation and difficulties in managing resources implied by mass urbanisation. Finally, the carbon footprint is also increasing enormously, leading to very large ecological overexploitation . Biomimetic architecture can help us meet this challenge, by encouraging our societies to rethink inhabited spaces in order to increase their resilience. Namely, the concept of resilience is closely associated with a sustainable and circular, even restorative, approach. Biomimetic architecture can be expressed through buildings with optimised shapes and structures but also through the use of materials reducing our ecological footprint! The city of Manila in the Philippines, among the densest in the world Biomimetic architecture, a bridge between Man and Earth Faced with the realities of this destruction caused by humanity, many designers and architects have committed to the restoration of environments and biodiversity . It is in this context that biomimetic architecture emerges, self-sufficient in resources and directly inspired by the nature that it hopes to heal. Biomimetic architecture through the reuse of materials As we know, in nature there really is no such thing as “waste”. All materials are reused or recycled, allowing other species to use them. In life, all materials involved in a transformation are useful and valued in a certain way. To avoid the term waste, we call co-products the residual products which are not those targeted by the transformation. We can therefore consider using bio-sourced materials, thus derived from organic matter, to produce biodegradable and recyclable materials. We can also valorise these co-products for other uses, such as using shrimp shells to produce plastic (Shrilk ) or even duck feathers for insulation materials! Certain species also use their natural environment to build their habitat, so we can think of drawing inspiration from these species for biomimetic architecture! This is what a 3D printing company did, taking inspiration from the mason wasp! In fact, mason wasps build nests in the ground in order to place their eggs and larvae there and therefore to protect them. The idea of a biomimetic architecture inspired by these wasps then makes it possible to build houses based on earth, natural fibers and binders & stabilisers inspired by the saliva of the mason wasp for habitats that are both sustainable and efficient. In the same principle, we can also draw inspiration from termites, impressive builders capable of creating gigantic termite mounds and large underground galleries only with the use of their saliva and the surrounding earth! This is particularly useful for producing earth-based construction materials that are therefore biodegradable and bio-sourced. Biomimetic architecture is therefore also inspired by very inventive species using their environment (see our article on these incredible engineer species !) An example of a large termite mound Furthermore, much research has also been carried out to produce concrete with a smaller ecological footprint, in particular by using bio-sourced binders to facilitate the production of concrete. For example, we can cite For tera cement which draws its inspiration from corals! Corals in fact produce calcium carbonate (CaCO3) from the surrounding CO2, a compound necessary for the production of concrete. By imitating the biomineralisation process of corals during the concrete production line, concrete can be produced without the overconsumption of CO2. Here is yet another example of carbon footprint reduction (- 60% fewer emissions across the entire production chain) via biomimetic architecture! Biomimetic architecture and its innovative ecological solutions British architect Michael Pawlyn has embarked on the project of reforesting the Sahara using greenhouses inspired, for example, by desert fog-basking beetle (but also by permaculture, camel nostrils and other species). This specy of desert coprophagous beetles (especially in Namibia), is renowned for its ability to harvest moisture from the air. Indeed, the elytra of these insects - chitinous protections covering their wings - are punctuated with hydrophilic protuberances which increase the surface tension of the drops and cause them to coagulate. These collect moisture from the fog while hydrophobic hollows ensure the droplets formed are evacuated towards the head when the mealworm bends down! Hence its somewhat… special appearance! By taking inspiration from this specy, it is therefore possible to redirect humidity more easily to supply greenhouses! This is a very promising and interesting example of biomimetic architecture in view of the current and future context! The desert fog-basking beetle, bending to direct the drops towards its mouth © James Harris Anderson These same strategies were used to imagine new housing solutions allowing the development of a symbiotic relationship between living things and buildings via biomimetic architecture. With this in mind, an architectural firm designed a bio-façade adapted to seaweed farming. Micro -algae, in addition to presenting an obvious aesthetic interest, capture CO2 present in the atmosphere and can be harvested to be used in the manufacture of biopolymers or biofuels. These products can then be used to remanufacture materials necessary for the construction of buildings, once again showing the ability of biomimetic architecture to reduce our ecological footprint! We also find, in the biomimetic architecture of this green barrier, natural optimisation strategies. Taking direct inspiration from the stratification of forest ecosystems, the shade projected is used by solar panels to cultivate bushy or herbaceous species. An innovative and original way to reuse solar energy thanks to biomimetic architecture ! Thus, numerous biomimetic architecture projects are developing and little by little presenting an alternative to the city of concrete, glass and steel, for an integrated habitat, the child of the ingenuity of Man and Nature. Have you already heard of the “ Paris Smart City 2050 ” project? It is a biomimetic architecture concept by Vincent Callebaut aiming to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 75% in Paris by 2050 by establishing much more nature in the city of lights! For example, we would find green towers using bio-air conditioning, towers containing cells that are united in terms of energy or even towers with very large plant walls allowing efficient photosynthesis! Enough to completely overhaul neighbourhoods using biomimetic architecture! The concept of Paris Smart City 2050 © Vincent Callebaut Architectures Biomimetic architecture, a bridge between Man and Earth Biomimetic architecture and functionalisation Biomimetic architecture makes it possible to create innovative designs to address many issues and can provide numerous advantages and benefits in several aspects, here are two examples: Temperature regulation : Taking inspiration once again from termite mounds, the Eastgate Center in Harare, Zimbabwe, mimics the passive cooling performance of termite mounds using porous materials that are also local and bio-sourced. This provides better nighttime ventilation and therefore better temperature regulation, allowing a 10% reduction in energy costs linked to air conditionning in a conventional building! South Korea's Thematic Pavilion is inspired by the bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae - it's actually a plant ) , which has the ability to open its petals when a bird lands on it, discovering the pollen of the flower which will be disseminated via the bird. This example of biomimetic architecture adapts according to the environment and the amount of sun perceived, making it possible to capture the most sun when the weather is cloudy and on the contrary to accentuate the shading when the weather is very sunny. This makes it possible to effectively regulate the temperature! Lighting : Another project by architect Michael Pawlyn, named “ The Biomimetic Office ”, is inspired by the eye of the barreleye fish , capable of efficiently focusing light into one point. By imitating its mirror structure, it is possible to increase the light level on the lower floors of this building, allowing in particular to use less electricity for lighting! Other bio-inspired functionalisations exist, such as hydrophobic surfaces (inspired, for example, by the lotus leaf) allowing automatic cleaning and protection of certain materials. Biomimetic architecture can therefore bring new benefits to certain buildings and is therefore very promising! Biomimetic architecture and lightweight design Lightweight design consists of the design of products or structures that are as light as possible while maintaining equal resistance to stress, particularly mechanical stress. Biomimetic architecture and lightweight design are therefore obviously linked, due to the need to design resistant buildings while using less material, for economic and ecological reasons. Lightweight design in biomimetic architecture can manifest itself through the materials used, the shape or the structure of buildings. There are a lot of bio-inspired lightweight structures, such as cell-shaped structures inspired by bee hives that are found in several industrial fields, and which make it possible to effectively absorb vibrations. Another example of lightweight biomimetic architecture is inspired by the Venus basket, or glass sponge, living in an environment with strong underwater currents and very high pressure due to its depth. Their shape allows them to distribute forces over their entire surface and therefore better absorb vibrations and inspired the Gherkin Tower in London! Many bio-inspired lattice structures are also being sought and can still be found in order to have lighter structures using fewer materials but still very resistant! Venus' basket, or glass sponge © NOAA under Creative Commons license Conclusion Biomimetic architecture, dictated by rules and codes observed in nature, is a subject of the future which could help reduce the harmful effects of population growth. It involves not only the reuse of materials and resources but also the functionalisation of new structures, enough to give ideas for your future at home!

Le biomimétisme est une boîte à outils performante pour aider les acteurs du secteur aéronautique à muscler leur R&D. Confrontés à des défis techniques, environnementaux et réglementaires sans précédents, le biomimétisme leur propose des réponses efficaces et prometteuses ! Your expert in biomimicry. Design and develop technologies inspired by nature's most ingenious know-hows, thanks to our biomimetic engineers. Up Boost your R&D thanks to biomimicry. Biomimicry provides sophisticated and effective solutions to your technical challenges and ambitions. Bioxegy imagines, designs and develops intelligent and sustainable bio-inspired technologies to meet your innovation objectives. We deliver an impactful and proven expertise in biomimicry. Working alongside your R&D and innovation teams, our biomimetic engineers draw inspiration from nature's most ingenious mechanisms, properties and functions. Bioxegy is one of the international pioneers of this powerful and promising engineering field. Working alongside your R&D and innovation teams, our biomimetic engineers draw inspiration from nature's most ingenious mechanisms, properties and functions. Bioxegy is one of the international pioneers of this powerful and promising engineering field. Discover Bioxegy Working alongside your R&D and innovation teams, our biomimetic engineers draw inspiration from nature's most ingenious mechanisms, properties and functions. Bioxegy is one of the international pioneers of this powerful and promising engineering field. Les apports du biomimétisme dans le transport et la logistique sont très variés et concernent les domaines suivants : Science des matériaux Nicolas Héron R&I Senior Program Manager + Algorithmique et optimisation Intelligence collective pour la gestion des flux IA et Machine learning Jumeaux numériques Optimisation des trajets et de la logistique embarquée + Sciences thermiques Isolation thermique Optimisation des échanges thermiques Anti-icing Dissipation de chaleur + Capteurs et traitement de l'information Capteurs optiques et mécaniques Détection d’obstacles et de perturbations environnementales Traitement d’image + Robotique et automatisation Nicolas Héron R&I Senior Program Manager + Mécanique des fluides Aérodynamisme Hydrodynamisme Optimisation des formes + Mécanique des structures Lightweight design Structures lattices et optimisation topologique Résistance aux chocs et aux vibrations Conception modulaire & assemblages + Gestion et optimisation des flux Logistique prédictive Organisation des stocks et entrepôts Maintenance prédictive et adaptative Packaging et conditionnement +