BioInspired! So What? Now What!

From the June 2012 Biomimicry 3.8 Institute Newsletter:

We love hearing about the successes of educators, students, and practitioners in our networks, and were especially thrilled to learn that three teams that participated in our Student Design Challenge (SDC) have since attracted serious outside interest.

In April, the SDC team from Boston College won the $10,000 grand prize in the Boston College Venture Competition with their Namib Beetle Design, which condenses clean drinking water from the air.  In addition, the team earned a place in a summer incubator program to help launch their product.

Lipscomb University’s SDC team also attracted $10,000 from an angel investor for their Hickory Hydroponics design, a vertical tomato farm that moves water using a system based on the capillary action of trees.  Construction of a prototype will begin in August.

A third SDC team, from the University of Calgary, presented their concept for a Chinook Wind Heating System at the World Academy of Science Engineering and Technology’s 2012 Winter Conference in Switzerland.  Although the team’s design did not meet all of our SDC requirements, our judges were very impressed with the concept’s potential.