Machine Learning to Foster Greater Use of Biomimicry for Innovation

In an example of biomimicry, cicada wings could inspire bacteria-resistent materials. Knowledge transfer across domains leads to significant breakthroughs in science and technology. For example, through biomimicry, innovators get inspiration from nature/biology to solve complex engineering problems. An exciting example of biomimicry is the recent creation of artificial materials that imitate the surface of cicada's wings and gecko's skin, which have antibacterial properties due to their physical structure. These type of materials could be used in hospitals for surfaces that get easily contaminated with bacteria and help drastically reduce the number of hospital infections, a leading cause of health complications during hospitalization.