Lean, Light and Quiet: Advances in Automotive Energy Efficiency through Biomimetic Design

Nature has been designing self-propelled vehicles (animals and plants) for the last 600 million years and has arrived at a variety of designs that are highly energy efficient, elegant in construction and quiet in operation. Biomimicry is the process of utilizing designs and processes found in nature to inspire advances in man-made systems. New technologies have emerged that enable a biomimetic approach to the design not only of automobile bodies but also automotive sub-systems and components. This paper highlights several examples of biomimetic design that could improve the performance of today's automobiles.