Young Minds Take on Biomimetic Youth Challenge

Educators and students from public and private schools, home schools, and afterschool programs submitted 32 creative and unique entries to this second annual biomimicry design competition for youth. The winners demonstrated strong biomimetic thinking, inventive model-making, creative presentation skills, and excellent data collection and testing methodologies.

The high school winner was Team Astier, from Ardeche, France, for their entry "Pill Bug Sledge." The team looked at organisms that conglobate (roll up for warmth and protection) in order to design a human-powered conveyance for extreme conditions. The middle school winner, Sean Dupre, created a concept for an all-weather coat by combining strategies from the polar bear, arctic fox, Namibian beetle, and beaver in his “Pofoxeavertle” coat. It never ceases to amaze how young minds really grasp biomimicry.

To see more information on the Youth Design Challenge, click here.