Dragonfly wing is another hierarchical material
consisting of multi-layered sandwich structures. “The
morphology of the dragonfly wing is an optimal natural
construction…developed through evolution as a
response to force flows and material organization.”
said the team of Maria Mingallon, who were
investigating architectural applications of the
dragonfly wing [3]. The geometry of the veins
determines the stiffness and flexibility of the area:
quadrilateral sections are stiffer than the
compartmentalised hexagonal regions where the wing is
allowed to bend. The corrugation of the veins means
that when one region breaks, the damage is localised
and allow fast repairing.
Although the dragonfly wing appears to be
delicate, it is able to resist high pressures in wind.
Structures in nature rarely rely on the bulk properties
of the material, but rather on geometry and topological
arrangements to maximise the strength-to-weight ratio.
The company Airbus designed an innovative airplane
model that emulates the organic cellular arrangement
of bone growth. It is structurally rigid and weighs 45%
less than the conventional design. The light-weight
structure significantly increases fuel efficiency, saving
up to 465,000 metric tonnes of CO2 emissions per year.
[4] The biomimetic applications of load-bearing lightweight
mechanics in natural systems create many
opportunities for future of sustainable transport.