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Scientists often seek inspiration from the natural world that might offer solutions to technological, biomedical or industrial challenges. Bio-inspired design, sometimes known as biomimetic design,1 has many applications in everyday products. One invention often used as an example is Velcro (Figure 1).
The discovery of the mechanism behind Velcro is attributed to a Swiss engineer, George de Mestral, in 1941. Returning after a walk in the Alps with his pet dog, he noticed the animal's fur had collected burdock plant seeds. Closer inspection revealed that the seeds comprised many small hooks on the end of their protective spikes. These had bound the seeds tightly to the loops formed by the animal's hair.
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