IIT Madras to introduce a course in Biomimicry to solve life problems

NEW DELHI: Indian Institute of Technology, Madras or IIT Madras will soon offer a one of its kind elective course on Biomimicry. The course will be offered under the interdisciplinary stream said a statement from the institute on Monday.

IIT Madras is among the first institutes to offer a full-fledged course on Biomimicry.

Biomimicry is imitating nature.

The course

The course is to inculcate the habit of observation and imitate nature closely.

An intersection of biology and engineering, the course will enhance curiosity among the students for solving complex problems.

“Biomimicry is not learning about nature but learning from it. The ethos of Biomimicry or the guiding principle of Biomimicry is that life creates conditions conducive to life,” reads the statement.

The teachers

The teachers responsible for teaching the course include Sivakumar, professor, dean of students; Shiva Subramaniam, chief innovation officer of Gopalakrishnan-Deshpande Centre for Innovation and Entrepreneurship; Satyanarayanan Seshadri, professor department of applied mechanics and Srinivasa Chakravarthy, professor, department of biotechnology.

The institute has also created a community of "biomimicry enthusiasts". They will be exploring opportunities in research, entrepreneurship, new products, processes, and systems.

The institute plans to hold a biomimicry challenge to provoke bold, sustainable ideas from young minds.

Biomimicry, the statement reads, “has immense potential not only in engineering, technology and design but also in other areas like management, human resources, administration, social sciences and the arts.”

Some examples of engineered products inspired by Biomimicry include the ‘Shinkansen’ bullet train in Tokyo, Japan, inspired by the kingfisher; Wind turbine blade design inspired by the flippers of humpback whales and the self-filling water flasks inspired by the Namib Desert beetle.

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