DES 116 Biomimicry Case Study

BAMBOO Shoots BIOMIMICRY The bamboo is part of the grass family and is characterized by its jointed stems called culms. These can vary in shape, size and color. Each culm segment, or the internode, is joined together by nodes.

FUNCTION Its strength and flexibilty make is possible to be used for building or to produce almost any product.

With its incredible growth cycle, it can quickly be used as a renewable resource. Bamboo can also be eaten and are used in several different dishes, especially Asian dishes.

DESIGN The outer layer of the bamboo becomes the strongest over the period of 2 to 3 years. Most of the time, the insides are hallow, creating several empty segments that could possibly be used for storage. The design of the bamboo can be used to create a packaging for something delicate and needs different compartments. The long and narrow design can also be used for ease of storage and transportation.

SUSTA INABLILTY With its rapid growth, the bamboo can be easily obtained and used as a sustainable material. The outer shell can be used as organic material to produce anything that requires protection. Bamboo has been used to create several things in our life such as furnature, textiles, and product containers.

Sources http://archibiz.com/blog/bamboo-and-its-construction-features/ http://www.bamboobotanicals.ca/html/about-bamboo/bamboo-growth-habits.html

Pineapple Leaves BIOMIMICRY The pineapple is a terrestrial herb that have dagger-light leaves growing from its stump. The stomatas within the leaves are used to increase the water intake as well as allowing the exchange of gas and water throughout the pores. There are also trichomes, which are tiny hair-like structures, that help prevent water loss.

FUNCTION The leaves of the pineapple play an important role in its development. The leaves are arranged in a spiralling direction to increase the intake of water and sunlight. The leaves of the flowers also translucent water storage tissue that are used to store water for later use. With the stomatas and trichomes, the leaves are able to store enough water for the entire fruit.

DESIGN The spiralling design of the leaves make it possible so that the plant is capable to take in as much water and sunlight. Along with the stomatas and trichomes, the leaves are capable of storing water and preventing water loss. This can be incorporated into a packaging design that holds a product that requires to stay moist throughout its shelf life. The stomatas and trichomes can be some sort of inner lining and cover that protects the product from drying out.

SUSTA INABLILTY If the concepts of the leaves are applied into developing a packaging for the product, the packaging itself will not require excess materials to keep the product moist within its container.

Sources https://bioweb.uwlax.edu/bio203/s2012/engebos_meag/adaptation.htm

Mangosteen BIOMIMICRY The mangosteen is a popular fruit within Asian culture such as Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Thailand. The tree can grow up to 26 feet high. The shell of the fruit is stiff and bark-like to protect the inner part which contains about 4 to 8 segments of the white fruit. Within each individual white pulp, there is usually a seed.

FUNCTION Because the fruit is short-lived, the fruit itself must be kept so that the inner pulp within will stay moist.

The dark bark-like shell serves its purpose to protect the pulp and seeds within while another yellow, latex-like layer beneath the rind serves its purpose of keeping the pulp moist.

DESIGN The shell of the fruit is designed to hold onto the white pulp in place. Since the rind is about 1/4 to 3/8 inches thick, it serves its purpose in protecting the fruit. The design of the mangosteen shell can be used in a packaging design where a kind of fragile food product needs an outer layer to protect it from breaking into pieces.

SUSTA INABLILTY Since the rind of the mangosteen is not extremely thick, but still serves its purpose of protecting the insides of the fruit, it can be a way to minimize the thickness of materials used to create a protective layer in product packaging.

Sources http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3090081/ https://www.hort.purdue.edu/newcrop/morton/mangosteen.html