From Boxfish Bodies to Bionic Cars (Imitating Nature)

When DaimlerChrysler engineers searched for an animal model for a biomimetic car, little did they suspect that the ideal creature would be the boxfish -- a seemingly awkward and clumsy denizen of the coral reefs. Boxfish, however, are surprisingly aerodynamic and share common structure requirements with cars. When the swimming proficiency of boxfish was understood, design engineers adapted its traits to their revolutionary, environmentally-friendly concept vehicle: the Mercedes-Benz Bionic Car.Toney Allman is the author of 'From Boxfish Bodies to Bionic Cars (Imitating Nature)', published 2006 under ISBN 9780737736090 and ISBN 0737736097.