BSR Insight | Biomimicry: Designing a Train to Work Like a Bird
At SXSW Eco in Austin, Texas, last week, Lance Hosey, CSO of the architecture firm RTKL, argued that sustainable design should be more like nature for aesthetic purposes, human health and well-being, and greater efficiency.
Hosey cited the example of the Japanese Shinkansen 500 bullet train, whose nose was designed to mimic the beak of the kingfisher, which dives into water silently to capture prey. This new train is 10 percent faster, uses 15 percent less energy than previous models, and does not have a sonic boom—a common problem with high-speed trains.
Biomimicry uses elements in nature to design products that solve human issues, based on the idea that evolutionary processes have, over millennia, selected more efficient and environmentally friendly ways to address common problems.
Photo source: Shinkansen 500 bullet train, by suzumiyaharuka. Malagasy kingfisher by Frank.Vassen. Both via Flickr, Creative Commons 2.0 License.
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