Biomimetics and technical textiles: solving engineering problems with the help of nature's wisdom1

The significance of inspiration from nature for technical textiles and for fibrous composite materials is demonstrated by examples of already existing technical solutions that either parallel biology or are indeed inspired by biological models. The two different basic types of biomimetic approaches are briefly presented and discussed for the "technical plant stem." The technical plant stem is a biomimetic product inspired by a variety of structural and functional properties found in different plants. The most important botanical templates are the stems of the giant reed (Arundo donax, Poaceae) and of the Dutch rush (Equisetum hyemale, Equisetaceae). After analysis of the structural and mechanical properties of these plants, the physical principles have been deduced and abstracted and finally transferred to technical applications. Modern computer-controlled fabrication methods for producing technical textiles and for structuring the embedding matrix of compound materials render unique possibilities for transferring the complex structures found in plants, which often are optimized on several hierarchical levels, into technical applications. This process is detailed for the technical plant stem, a biomimetic, lightweight, fibrous composite material based on technical textiles with optimized mechanical properties and a gradient structure. [PUBLICATION ABSTRACT]