And....meanwhile....Over at the FOMOCO (Ford Motor Company) Headquarters in the States, researchers of Ford have decided to study more of nature to seek out new solutions that are sustainable to modern day challenges in design and its impact to the environment. The first step is that little lizard called the Gecko.
This little lizard can stick upside down and on most surfaces. The sticky toe pads would be researched to improve adhesives (used in automobiles especially in the interior plastics and other polyurethane that needs to be stuck together). The science involved is called BIOMIMICRY, or copying what is biologically made naturally and adapting it to what humans build.
Of course, sometimes the Gecko is also used for another company for stickiness too. On the all-wheel drive systems for grip and traction. This idea for using the little gecko for other sticky uses is new to me. Anyway, what this means in plain old English is that the research should allow us to have better glue that is easier to be recycled. Isn't that easier?
Looking to the Gecko for Answers; Ford to Seek Solutions by Mimicking Nature
Ford researchers will study the gecko’s sticky toe pads for clues to improve adhesives and
increase the recyclability of auto parts
Biomimicry is an innovative approach that looks to nature for sustainable smimiolutions to
modern-day challenges; biomimetic innovations could transform the interior design of Ford
vehicles
Ford Motor Company recently hosted a biomimicry workshop at its Dearborn campus with
participation from Procter & Gamble and The Biomimicry Institute
DEARBORN, Mich., Nov. 4, 2015 – Ford Motor Company will chart new territory as it seeks to
create adhesive innovations inspired by the gecko. Ford will also work with Procter & Gamble,
sharing research findings as both companies look to biomimicry for a host of business solutions.
For years, Ford researchers have considered ways to make auto manufacturing more
sustainable. A key challenge is glue used to adhere foams to plastics and metals can make
disassembling parts for recycling nearly impossible.
Enter the gecko.
The lizard’s toe pads allow it to stick to most surfaces without liquids or surface tension. The
reptile can then easily release itself, leaving no residue. Consider, too, that a typical mature
gecko weighing 2.5 ounces is capable of supporting 293 pounds.
The gecko could inspire a host of adhesive innovations for global applications at Ford, said
Debbie Mielewski, Ford senior technical leader for plastics and sustainability research.
“Solving this problem could provide cost savings and certainly an environmental savings,” said
Mielewski. “It means we could increase the recycling of more foam and plastics, and further
reduce our environmental footprint.”
Buoyed by the biomimetic method, Ford recently hosted a forum at its Dearborn campus with
participation from Procter & Gamble and The Biomimicry Institute, a nonprofit committed to
promoting the innovative approach of looking to nature for sustainable solutions to modern-day
challenges. Nearly 200 researchers and designers took part in the day-long session to learn
about biomimicry and how to apply it to their work.
“We are excited for the opportunity to participate, together with Ford – with whom we have a
history of collaboration – in The Biomimicry Institute workshop,” said Lee Ellen Drechsler,
director for corporate connect and development, The Procter and Gamble Company. “We have
an interest within Procter & Gamble for using biomimicry as a way to broaden our approach to
solving tough research challenges.”
The biomimetic approach is not new. The Bullet Train in Shinkansen, Japan was inspired by the
kingfisher. Velcro took its cues from a burr. And improved medical needles were developed
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based on the mosquito. Interest in the approach has increased in the last decade as awareness
of climate change and environmental challenges is heightened, said Gretchen Hooker, project
manager for design challenges at The Biomimicry Institute.
Founded in 2006, the group works to empower people to create sustainable products and
services using biomimicry. In addition to mobilizing educators and regional practitioners through
the Biomimicry Global Network, the organization provides a platform to learn and practice
biomimicry through multiple design challenges. These include open innovation, academic-
corporate partnerships and corporate-employee challenges where employees get hands-on
training while developing new solutions to issues corporations face. AskNature.org, the
organization’s online database of biological solutions, offers inspiration to those looking to find
answers in biomimicry.
“Ford and P&G are the first companies to take part in these new corporate-employee
challenges,” said Hooker.
Beyond recycling, the Ford design teams have worked for nearly a decade to find nature-
inspired technologies, with recent successes in yarn production for seating materials and
headliners.
Ford is the only automaker to use Unifi’s high-performance REPREVE fiber, made from 100
percent recycled materials including plastic bottles, in its vehicles. Ford employs REPREVE in
five of its vehicles – the new F-150, Explorer, Edge, Focus Electric and Fusion – making it a
globally used material. The use of REPREVE represents Ford’s commitment to reduce, reuse
and recycle, part of the automaker’s global sustainability strategy to lessen its environmental
footprint.
Ford designers are now looking to expand upon that commitment, turning to nature to further
improve the sustainable materials in vehicle fabrics. The gecko may also inspire fabric
technologies that could transform the cabin of Ford vehicles, researchers said.
“As we look to further our commitment to reducing our environmental footprint, taking a holistic,
biomimetic approach makes sense because nature has efficiencies in design and uses minimal
resources,” said Carol Kordich, global sustainable fabric strategies and development, Ford.
“Nature is the ultimate guide.”
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