Author(s)

I. Lopez Forniés & L. Berges Muro

Abstract

The use of bionics and biomimetics in industrial design is being more and more extended. This paper has the purpose of showing how the method is not only based on bio-inspiration or bionics, considering it as a creative tool, but also views it as a complementary tool used in design methodologies. This work presents a method to establish a relationship between functional analysis and biomimetics, showing how to integrate these tools in the design process, bringing an improvement for design products with more functional and innovative casings. Time and tasks at the stage of biomimetics research are reduced by focusing on the functions that frame the innovation and finally the finding of criteria that allow us to decide whether the use of these tools is necessary. The objectives are first of all the validation of the methodology based on the use of several product design tools, then the understanding of how to apply them so as to make them complementary, aiming for greater success in the final result, and finally to establish criteria to establish product typologies, as well as solutions in nature from natural individuals using analogies to link the natural and artificial environments. The methodology is based on the selection of a product typology, the application of analogy methods between casings or product shells and natural exoskeletons in nature to carry out the functional analysis and biomimetic research, and finally the use of the design process of conceptualising, embodiment and detailing to present and evaluate the final results. Keywords: design methods, innovation, functional analysis, biomimetic, bionic, exoskeleton, shell, casing.

Keywords

design methods, innovation, functional analysis, biomimetic, bionic, exoskeleton, shell, casing