Scientists and engineers are getting some wild ideas from the wild kingdom
Spitting beetles inspire jet sprayers
The bombardier beetle wards off ants, frogs, birds and other enemies with powerful jets of hot, toxic fluid. The trickery lies in the mixing together of a chemical concoction in a sort of combustion chamber in the insect's abdomen, with inlet and exit valves determining the precise blend. Scientists at Leeds University in England have built an experimental contraption, shown here, that mimics the process and shoots a spray 13 feet. They are now working with a company that funds biomimetics-related research to build devices such as pharmaceutical inhalers and fire extinguishers.
Check out nine more innovations inspired by nature:
Gecko glue: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-gecko-glue
Sea cucumber plastic: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-sea-cucumber-plastic
Speedy swimsuits: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-speedy-swimsuits
Drones: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-drones
Repellant materials: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-repellant-materials
Bullet trains: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-bullet-train
Fishy armor: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-fishy-armor
Whiter whites: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-white-album
Boxfish-styled cars: www.happynews.com/inspired-innovations-boxfish-cars

© 2008 msnbc.com
Reproduced with permission of MSNBC, from Ten innovations inspired by nature by John Roach, October 21, 2008; permission conveyed through Copyright Clearance Center, Inc.

You can read this story in its original location at: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27285982