Scientists Are Developing Artificial Shark Skin to Reduce Swimming Drag
Rahul Kalvapalle — May 23, 2014 — Tech
References: journals.biologists & gizmodo
Shark skin is the envy of swimsuit wearers and designers because of its sleek texture and dragless characteristics, which allow sharks to propel themselves through the water at speed like it's nobody's business. Up close however, shark skin looks like a strange matrix of micro-sized tooth-shaped scales. Scientists are now 3D printing replica shark skin to assist swimmers.
Harvard professor George Lauber and his team began by scanning a piece of mako shark skin bought from a local fish market. They then spent a year figuring out how to recreate it in a lab. The end result is a flexible artificial sharp skin embedded with the tooth-shaped scales -- called 'denticles' -- that cover real shark skin.
The 3D-printed denticles are nowhere near the size of the real thing, but the shark skin still worked. At low speeds, it reduced drag by up to 8.7%.
Harvard professor George Lauber and his team began by scanning a piece of mako shark skin bought from a local fish market. They then spent a year figuring out how to recreate it in a lab. The end result is a flexible artificial sharp skin embedded with the tooth-shaped scales -- called 'denticles' -- that cover real shark skin.
The 3D-printed denticles are nowhere near the size of the real thing, but the shark skin still worked. At low speeds, it reduced drag by up to 8.7%.
Trend Themes
1. 3d-printed Shark Skin - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Advancing the field of biomimicry by creating artificial materials with drag-reducing properties.
2. Biomimicry - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Applying design principles inspired by nature to improve the performance and efficiency of various industries.
3. Drag Reduction Technology - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Developing new technologies to minimize drag and enhance the speed and efficiency of transportation systems.
Industry Implications
1. Sportswear and Swimwear - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Integrating 3D-printed shark skin technology into swimwear to enhance performance and reduce drag for swimmers.
2. Biomedical Engineering - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Applying the principles of shark skin texture to develop artificial materials for biomedical applications, such as prosthetics and implants, that reduce friction and improve mobility.
3. Marine Transportation - Disruptive innovation opportunity: Incorporating drag reduction technologies inspired by shark skin into ship designs to improve fuel efficiency and reduce emissions.
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