Biomimicry

"Unlike Batman, bats don’t rely on projections in the sky to tell them where to go; they navigate by calling and judging where the sounds echo off objects. This sound-based system inspired a team at Wake Forest University, North Carolina, to create a sonar device to help the blind to get around more easily."

"From its overall shape, inspired by the efficient contours of fish and dolphins, to its active sonar, originating in the study of bats, the answers to problems of natural selection can be found throughout the submarine. Since ancient times, humans have sought to solve problems with technology, and they've often been inspired to do so by observing how animals and plants found elegant solutions to similar problems. In looking deeper into these solutions recently, scientists have been repeatedly astonished at the sophistication and optimal performance of evolutionary adaptations. They have discovered light sensors that can detect single photons, skin that can magically repel water, acoustic lenses that focus sound beams, and bugs that can solve calculus problems. To put it plainly: we humans are increasingly realizing that nature offers a lot of great designs to steal."