BioInspired! So What? Now What!

Julian Vincent has summarised his approach to solving problems using trade-offs (such as speed versus accuracy or strength versus weight) as a way to create a common language between biology and engineering.  His work builds on the TRIZ (Theory of Inventive Problem Solving) concept of contraditions.  He is developing a BioMimetic Ontology (BMO) to collect and analyse biological trade-offs so that non-biologists can search for solutions using the common trade-off.  Some background articles include What did Socrates ever do for you? (Julian Vincent) and Envisioning Biomimicry Through an Ontological Lens (Colleen Unsworth, et al.)