For over one hundred years, scientists and engineers have been studying ways to effectively harvest fog as a source of water in arid regions. Although some of these man-made systems have proved useful,
If you ever engage in online shopping (or even if you don't), you probably recognize how ubiquitous and space-cluttering cardboard packaging is. But what if every cardboard box you got from Amazon came
Green design isn't all about the shiniest new technology. Although we love our gadgets here at Inhabitat, we believe that sometimes using nature's proven ingenuity to assist the modern world is a better
Imagine if all the debate over which chemicals were safe and unsafe for humans were suddenly settled. We'd know which products to buy and which to ban. Class action lawsuits filed by communities exposed
Design team Numen/For Use transformed 700 rolls of clear packing tape into an incredible human-size inhabitable spider web at DMY Belin 2010. The weaving took place over four consecutive days inside of
What if robots could lead fish away from major danger zones like, say, a massive oil spill off the Gulf Coast? It might be possible with the launch of Maurizio Porfiri's remote-controlled fish-like
Spider silk is known for its tough as nails strength and pliable nature, making it an ideal material for application in items ranging from bulletproof vests to even artificial ligaments and tendons.
Here in the United States, we're only starting to kick the habit of designing cities around cars. But in Leiden, Netherlands, designers were asked to build a parking garage that would last between 10 and
Photo by Luc Viatour Spider silk may seem fragile, but it actually has a tensile strength that is a whopping five times more than steel! Scientists have been trying to replicate and harness the
Industrial Design student, Alvaro Uribe of Pratt Institute, wowed us last weekend at BKLYN Designs with his sleek Mantis Table. Inspired by insect body parts and adding a light and elegant touch to any
Photo by Wonderlane University of California engineer Luke Lee and architect Maria-Paz Gutierrez are developing an advanced “skin” for buildings that would regulate temperature and humidity
Architect Vincent Callebaut recently unveiled a blue-sky plan for a high-flying fleet of self-sufficient aircraft that are one part zeppelin cities and one part hydrogen-generating floating farms. Dubbed
This incredible concept for a self-heating piezoelectric shower combines inspiration from the human body’s circulatory system with technological innovations in piezoelectricity. The fluid web of piping
Nature, nurture and design come together in Gonglue Jiang's Bionic Humidifier -- a clever appliance masquerading as a potted plant that also functions as an indoor humidifier. Jiang’s artificial
Fadi Sarieddine's awesome new grass-covered sofa, cleverly dubbed The Mow Chair aims to bring the great outdoors inside. Designed by Lebanese architect Fadi Sarieddine, this charming 'living' piece of
Ocean City by Arup Biomimetics Forty years from now, Australia, as well as the rest of the world, could look dramatically different -- possibly even underwater, like this 'Ocean City' concept by Arup
Plants are excellent at harnessing solar power, so it only makes sense that scientists would eventually study them for hints on how to develop more efficient photovoltaic devices. Chemists at the
Biomimicry strikes again–this time with Snookie, an underwater robot that has an artificial sensory organ inspired by the “lateral-line system” seen in blind fish like the Astyanax.
As far as sustainable energy systems go, nothing is quite as perfect as a plant: Through photosynthesis, plants create their own energy using only sunlight and water. For years, scientists have been
It may sound like something cooked up in Frankenstein’s lab, but Joris Laarman has created an incredible living lamp made out of (get this) bioluminescent, living, glowing hamster cells. Called the
Designer Gert Eussen, who you may remember from our favorite spherical treehouse, is making chairs from potatoes. Actual, little, brown potatoes, seat-shaped and dried out. No, they're not doll furniture:
Biomimicry: is there anything it can't do? The latest example of science imitating nature comes from researchers at MIT who have discovered that the shell of a tiny deep-sea snail could give way to tough,
Design team Chimera has conceived of an incredible series of spiraling skyscrapers for New York’s Hudson Yards that are modeled after the complex ecosystems created by the mangrove tree. Dubbed
Believe it or not, vehicle designers can learn a lot from fish, which have the impressive ability to glide around obstacles, all while staying in a tightly controlled pack. If cars were able to do the
The field of geo-engineering has launched all kinds of outlandish ideas for combating climate change, from dumping iron into the world's oceans to shooting mirrors into space. A report published last
MIT engineers have developed a cheap, compact robotic fish that can go where no man (or underwater vehicle) has been able to go before. The pint-sized robofish, developed by Kamal Youcuf-Toumi and Pablo
In the forests of Meghalaya, India, the War-Khasis people have discovered a patient way of crossing the many rivers of their wet region. By guiding the roots of an abundant species of rubber tree, they
Everyone knows that trees combat climate change by absorbing carbon dioxide out of the air. Now, plant leaves are tackling global warming in another way -- by serving as models for a technology that
Ever wonder what our modern-day cities could look like 100 years from now in a perfect world? Architect Luc Schuiten endeavors to find out with his Vegetal City installation, currently on display in
Last week we featured flying architecture, and now here's a floating structure inspired by the grace and curvilinear form of a mermaid. European firm, JDS Architects' Mermaid building is in a way both
