Engineered Biomimicry: Chapter 10. Biomimetic Textiles

In a sense, the archetype of bioinspiration for materials design and use is textiles. The field of biomimesis has spawned many new materials and continues to be a fruitful field of investigation. This chapter presents the current state of bioinspiration in textiles, how this has resulted in improved fibrous materials, how it may inform our continued progress. Because I have found many preconceived notions about the field that need addressing before the application of biomimetics to textiles can be truly appreciated, I begin with an introduction to textiles. Next, naturally enough, the discipline of biomimesis is introduced and then fleshed out in terms of its textile engineering importance. Following this, some details on fiber and textile science and engineering are discussed and biological concepts germane to our topic are presented. In the last step in this journey, the marriage of biomimesis and textiles is performed and some consequences revealed. Finally, I offer some prognostications on the topic.