Engineers Are Using Insect Legs As Inspiration For Innovative Feats Of Engineering

In an effort to create stronger materials for construction projects, researchers have been looking to certain insects for inspiration. Researchers are particularly interested in insect legs since so many insects can support objects much heavier than they are. Perhaps there is something about a bug’s legs that engineers can learn from.

Your typical insect is going to have legs that are made from cuticles that resemble thin tube-like structures. Researchers have been particularly interested in how these cuticles respond to pressure. Strangely enough, engineers discovered that the cuticles within an insect’s legs are capable of withstanding extremely heavy loads. The thin wall like tubes that make up the bulk of an insect’s legs weigh very little, but they are still able to withstand loads several times heavier than the insect legs themselves.

This would seem like an ideal material for construction, but the insect legs also tend to buckle a lot. Before researchers begin designs based on insect legs, they need to understand how to counter the natural tendency of insect legs to buckle under heavy pressure.

Have you ever heard of any particular insect that engineers were interested in because of the benefits that come with its natural bodily design?