Aesthetic
Many animals and plants have evolved parts that appeal to the eye, such as butterfly wings and flowers. Vision in different animals shares a similar mechanism. So, even if an aesthetic part evolved to benefit the eye of a different animal, that aesthetic part can still work on humans – we can enjoy the imagery, too.
Most notably, Lifescaped has successfully copied the structural colour of hummingbirds and some marine animals to produce Pure Structural Colour. As a measure of the potential of biomimetics, this is the brightest colour that exists, and since it involves microstructures rather than colour pigments, it never fades. Pure Structural Colour will soon to appear in a number of commercial products but is also under test for vivid animal markings for use by biologists and to deter poachers.
Further, according to Andrew Parker’s hypothesis, as humans evolved, the very sight of their environment became something that evoked a positive response in their bodies. This uplifting effect evolved to improve an individual’s chances of survival. At Lifescaped, we are taking this principal into the realms of architecture and design, to emulate the profiles of trees that once offered shelter and safety to early humans, and other parts of natural ecosystems that we may have evolved to enjoy. This can be extended to include the sounds and scents of natural environments, and even the touch of some flora.