Page 175 - Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature

Harun Yahya

mer gel. Water causes this gel to expand. In this way, chemical energy is
converted to mechanical energy in just the right place, and the resulting
pressure will be contained safely inside the helically-wound bag. Once
the swelling and contracting of the polymer gel is controlled, it is hoped
that the resulting system will operate like an artificial muscle. 115
Every living thing that man takes as a model, and every system in it,
is a sign of God for those who believe. This truth is expressed in a verse:
And in your creation and all the creatures He has spread about
there are signs for people with certainty. (Qur’an, 45: 4)

Changing shape, expanding and contracting by
the use of pressure, is frequently used in nature.
The worm, octopus, starfish and anemone are
some of the best examples; yet shape-changing
is found much less frequently in technological
equipment. In those few examples that do exist,
hydraulic pressure is employed. In lifts, for exam-
ple, hydraulic liquid is pumped into a thin cylinder to
raise heavy objects. To lower the lift, the cylinder is emp-
tied again. Starfish also use hydraulic pressure to move. Along the undersides of its
arms, the echinoderm possesses tube-like feet, attached to an internal, fluid-filled tub-
ing system. When its muscles contract the tubes, the resulting hydraulic pressure sends
fluid to the feet. Using its muscles, the starfish uses hydraulic power to set up a wave
motion in its feet, moving forward and back and allowing the starfish to progress in one
direction.
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