Page 142 - Design in Nature

DESIGN EXAMPLES IN INSECTS

From an Insect to a Modern Train Station
In 1987, French politicians commissioned the architect Santiago Calatrava to
design Lyon-Satolas, the station for the TGV super fast train. They aimed at
expressing the structure of the station in a way which would make it a
glamorous, attractive and landmark symbol. Concrete
columns support this dinosaur rib-cage like
structure, the inspiration for which comes
from an insect. Green and blue lights
that could easily be found on an
insect’s shell highlight the
structure. Since the grand
opening in July 1994,
the station has been
recognised as a
masterpiece.

Insects and Robot Technology
It is not only architects who benefit from study of the creation. The
engineers who developed robot technologies examined insects for
inspiration. Robots constructed upon the
model of insect legs prove to stand with
better equilibrium. When suction pads
are installed on the feet of these robots,
they can climb walls just like flies. A
particular robot constructed by a
Japanese corporation can walk on the
ceiling just like an insect. The corporation
utilises this robot to inspect under
bridges by means of sensors attached to
its body. 45
The American army has been known to be exploring micro machines
for a long time. According to Professor Johannes Smith, a motor smaller