Biomimetic materials for design

The paper aims to understand the contribution of bio-inspired materials to the design culture. Taking nature as a reference for solving technological and design problems of humans, the objective of this paper is to show dynamics behind the "resilient behavior" of materials and systems that nature has decided to develop during four billion years of evolution and transfer them into project of sustainable products. The biomimetic materials present many new features but one of the most interesting properties of biological materials is their capacity to self-healing. Today self-healing polymers, metals, paints and concrete mixes that are able to react to damage, are being studied. These represent the most innovative frontier of bio-inspired materials. In the future, these will make possible to create smart and sensitive products able to adapt or react to external stimuli, allowing us to greatly extend their useful lives.