Biomimetics in Tribology

Abstract

Science currently goes through a major change. Biology is evolving as new Leitwissenschaft, with more and more causation and natural laws being uncovered. The term 'technoscience' denotes the field where science and technology are inseparably interconnected, the trend goes from papers to patents, and the scientific 'search for truth' is increasingly replaced by search for applications with a potential economic value. Biomimetics, i.e. knowledge transfer from biology to technology, is a field that has the potential to drive major technical advances. The biomimetic approach might change the research landscape and the engineering culture dramatically, by the blending of disciplines. It might substantially support successful mastering of current tribological challenges: friction, adhesion, lubri-cation and wear in devices and systems from the meter to the nanometer scale. A highly successful method in biomimectics, the biomimicry innovation method, is applied in this chapter to identify nature's best practices regarding two key issues in tribology: maintenance of the physical integrity of a system, and permanent as well as temporary attachment. The best practices identified comprise highly diverse organisms and processes and are presented in a number of tables with detailed references.