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 interior, the table’s base is structured to mimic the small and delicate legs of a praying mantis which are uniquely angled to support the insect’s disproportionately long and heavy body. The design uses bio-inspired concepts adding to the structure’s lightness while still encompassing high-strength properties to support the heavy glass surface.
I don’t think this is an improvement from current design… if anything it’s worse. It’s not a good use of biomimicry. A bit gimmicky.
From the look of it the point where the three support beams meet will be a major weak point. While stress apply to the two symmetrical legs can be distributed to the third, if heavy weight is apply to the third leg, on top of the >, it might just snap or bend.
Just on top of my head a good use of biomimicry of the mantis physiology might be for something that have two sides with unequal weight, and possibly at different heights: just like the mantis’ body. Something like a crane or oil drill for example.
I agree with you, the bystander. This quote makes clear where the design goes wrong:
“legs of a praying mantis which are uniquely angled to support the insect’s disproportionately long and heavy body.”
The table is an example of this, so choosing the mantis has only aesthetic/metaphorical purposes, but not in anyway functional (=biomimicry).
Furthermore, to create sustainable products, hence using biomimicry, it about doing it like biology, not just ‘copy and paste’ it. The table could be made with using less material with a less ‘insect’-design appearance and doing so, being more biomimicry than this.
PS. I wonder why al the green-minded websites still give attention to those designs that are ‘green’ or ‘sustainable’ at all…
Oh, I ment: The table is NOT an example of this… Sorry.
Come on guys, the article clearly says “bio inspired”,if you go to the designers website you will see the designer never said anything about biomimicry. Plus, does everything that is sustainable have to be made of reclaimed materials, or some crafty thing made at home. This guy is trying make more interesting forms for manufacturing and functional as well. I saw the design in a show last week, and let me tell you that glass looked heavy,and the legs hold it with no trouble. Besides isn’t aluminum and glass recyclable?If all you can see is the name of the table and not the design, boomer.
I see. Well unfortunately this post doesn’t show edits. Inhabitat seemed to have changed the term used. If you hover over the link “bio-inspired” and check the bottom of the browser you can see the link still go the biomimicry category on Inhabitat. (unless they remove the link too). I think the current language is fine.