Science, Technology & Innovation: Biomimicry
You will explore how nature builds strong and lightweight materials, forms networks, heals itself and senses its surroundings and then translate these insights into technologically advanced prototypes. In this minor, you could try to replicate the flying or swimming motion of a bird or jellyfish, simulate the directional language perception of the human ear, or build an autonomous robot. It’s up to you and your team to pick a challenge and tackle the problem with your own bio-inspired prototype.
This course will introduce the basics of biomimicry, tools for applying it to our world, and ways we can incorporate this revolutionary new way of thinking to everything around us. Concurrently, it will include a project in which you will incorporate biomimicry to design a prototype that solves a practical problem. The goal is to develop a prototype (robot) that meets the requirements of a specific end user, who will be identified and interviewed using Design thinking methods. At the end of the course, each interdisciplinary team presents the evolution of their design and final prototype during a symposium.
Study programme
The minor consists of one fulltime semester-long 30 EC course. You will start with seminars, lectures and tutorials that introduce you to the theoretical basics of biomimicry, the tools for applying these insights to technology, and the ways in which we can combine our knowledge of nature with practical problem-solving skills. In parallel, you will receive prototyping workshops (soldering, 3D-printing, programming microcontrollers, and so on) to make your envisioned solutions a reality.
-
Minor Science, Technology & Innovation: BiomimicryPeriod 1Period 2Period 3—
Get a quick impression of the minor Science, Technology & Innovation: Biomimicry. Coordinator Pim Linnebank explains what you will learn in this minor.
Get an impression from the perspective of students. Why did they choose the minor Science, Technology & Innovation: Biomimicry?
Continue your studies with a master
With a minor you sometimes have access to certain (extra) masters.
Application and admission
Contact
In order to contact the minor Science, Technology & Innovation: Biomimicry programme, please send an email to makerspace@uva.nl
- Mode
- Full-time
- Credits
- 30 ECTS, 1 semester
- Language of instruction
- English
- Starts in
- September
- Location
- Science Park