Download - Ethical Bionics
Is the Study of Bionics and Biomimet-
ics Ethical
Some people would ask is the study of bionics and biomimetics ethical. This is a
question that is being asked as bionics becomes a part of our daily ives. The advancement in
technology has led to greater opportunities to study biomimetics. The free dictionary gives
the definition of bionics as “the use of a system or design found in nature, such as the ability
of plants to store solar energy or the aerodynamic design of bird wings, as a model for de-
signing machines and other artificial systems”. The website also states that biomimetics is
“the study of the structure and function of biological systems as models for the design and
engineering of materials and machines”. Without these two sciences many technologies
that we have now would not be present. Therefore, I believe that the study of bionics and
biomimetics is an ethical practice.
A main reason that I would say that it is an ethical study is because bionics has and
will continue to help us. There are innumerable cases where people would not be able to
function without the knowledge gained from bionics. An example of this is the invention of
prosthetics. People who use prosthetics would not be able to go about their normal lives
without such technological advances. Prosthetics can mimic the human arm, leg, eye and
others essential body parts. Scientists have invented arms that when connected to certain
muscles, will respond to commands given by the user. Soon, engineers hope to create pros-
thetics that will connect to the brain of a patient so when said patient thinks to move his or
her arm, the prosthetic arm moves as well. Advances like this support my opinion that the
study of bionics and biomimetics is ethical. Their usage is positive; to help make the lives
of the disabled more normal. Companies are coming out with organs that replace ones that
have been damaged, and these artificial organs are what will allow those people survive.
Many people have died due to a lack of transplant organs available. These countless lives
could have been saved if the useless organs were replaced by bionic ones. Some might say
that those with failing organs should die because of natural selection; getting rid of the weak
to make room for the strong, but I think that every person should have the chance to live their
lives if given the opportunity.
Another major example of how the study of bionics and biomimetics has helped im-
prove our world is by looking at how we travel. Without contemplating about nature, soci-
ety would have never been able to think about human aviation, much less make it possible.
Man has always wanted to fly like the birds, and by watching and studying them we have.
Just take a look at the multiple types of airplanes that we have nowadays. Helicopters are
also taken from nature, based off maple seeds that spin so they can move away from the
source. By watching these seeds fall to the ground, early inventors saw how they would be
able to integrate the design into an aircraft with a vertical liftoff.
Taking the chance to learn from this world is what living is all about. This is another
reason why bionics and biomimetics is ethical. Most of the products that we use everyday
were modeled from nature. One of the most interesting is the way architects take the design
of termite mounds and integrate it into buildings. Doing this keeps these buildings at a more
constant temperature, resulting in less use of fossil fuels and electricity to heat or cool down
the inside. Solar panels that are shaped like trees are a great example of the application of
biomimetics. Not only are these more aesthetically pleasing than normal solar panels, in
theory they work better. Trees, which have been around for thousands of years, have al-
ready evolved so that they can maximize the sunlight that they collect and by mimicking
them we can also maximize the collection of energy. In doing this we would in fact be max-
imizing the way that we use the resources given to us.
The military would not be the same without bionics and biomimetics. As we learned
in class, companies are designing suits for the military that allow foot soldiers to be able to
carry larger loads for longer distances. Animal defense mechanisms have also been an un-
derlying framework for modern military armor. Interlocking plates that overlap and are
flexible like an animals’ scales can be the most effective apparatus for stopping a bullet or
shrapnel. An example of this would be Dragon Skin armor made by Pinnacle Armor which
has been designed with disks that overlap on another. The primary use of Dragon Skin is for
the military and law enforcement.
Some people might say that the study of bionics and biomimetics is unethical to inte-
grate into humans. I would ask them to, for a moment, take a trip in somebody’s shoes who
has either lost a limb or is in need of a heart. If their only option for survival was to have an
artificial organ, would the choose this or death. Would you rather die than get an artificial
lung? Would you want to be stuck in a wheelchair when you have the option to walk again?
With bionics and biomimetics you would not need to live without full function of your body.
Bionics and biomimetics have improved our world in many ways. Without these we
would not have half of the technological advances that we have at this point in time. So, I
would have to side with the opinion that bionics and biomimetics is ethical and should be
continued in the future to create, study, and further the improvements of our lives.