13. Bio-Inspired Lightning Protection: Nature’s Wisdom in High-Tech Form
Inspired by nature, scientists and engineers are seeking for novel lightning protection systems. One amazing example is the creation of lightning protection devices motivated by the survival capacity of some trees under frequent lightning hits. These bio-inspired solutions safely channel electrical current by use of a network of conductive routes within building materials, emulating the internal structure of lightning-resistant trees Researching how some animals anticipate and escape incoming storms results in still another nature-inspired invention. Like these animals, ultra-sensitive electric field sensors have evolved to detect the minute variations in atmospheric electricity that precede lightning. In order to produce surfaces less prone to become conductive during rainstorms, so lowering lightning risk, some researchers are even looking at how to recreate the water-repelling qualities of lotus leaves. Using millions of years of evolutionary knowledge, these bio-inspired technologies present creative and usually more sustainable methods of lightning protection.