An engineer's objective is to fulfill the purpose by obtaining maximum performance at minimum cost with the resources that are available. To accomplish this goal, an engineer seeks to benefit from the direct manipulation of a process of biological origin or from engineered exploitation that derives a product or process design or function from a naturally occurring system. Many items which are manufactured by engineers are not successful because of what they are made of, but in fact it is because of the way in which they are put together.

When looking at nature it is necessary for the engineer to take into account the fact that most natural designs are multifunctional. One example of this is a feather which acts as the surface element of an airfoil as well as a component of a bird's thermal insulation. It is therefore necessary to understand the principle behind designs in nature and their form and function, rather than to simply copy them. It is then necessary for the engineer to discover or synthesize materials in such a way that they effectively substitute the living material's properties and functions. Nature should be the inspiration but the scale and the materials are up to the engineer.

Auteur: HAMMAMI Khalil (GE1S5)