Bioinspire-Explore: Taxonomy-Driven Exploration of Biodiversity Data for Bioinspired Innovation.

Area of Science:

• Bioinspired design
• Biodiversity informatics
• Computational biology

Background:

• Access to relevant biological data is crucial for successful bioinspired design.
• Existing biodiversity databases are often tailored for life scientists, not designers.
• A gap exists in accessible, designer-focused biodiversity data navigation tools.

Purpose of the Study:

• To introduce Bioinspire-Explore, a novel tool for navigating biodiversity data.
• To facilitate the discovery of biological systems relevant for bioinspired design across various sectors.
• To bridge the gap between biological data and the needs of bioinspired designers.

Main Methods:

• Developed Bioinspire-Explore, a user-friendly interface for biodiversity data exploration.
• Implemented taxon-based searching (species, genera) as the primary entry point.
• Integrated data on taxonomy, distribution, climate niche, and appearance.
• Utilized semantic proximity to link taxa with relevant biological processes, habitats, and measurements in the literature.

Main Results:

• Bioinspire-Explore enables users to search for biological models through taxa.
• The tool provides comprehensive information including phylogenetic position, geographic distribution, and physical traits.
• Semantic analysis reveals connections between taxa and their associated biological functions and characteristics.
• Demonstrates the utility of semantic proximity for uncovering bioinspiration links.

Conclusions:

• Bioinspire-Explore enhances access to biodiversity data for bioinspired design practitioners.
• The tool can foster interdisciplinary collaboration between biologists and designers.
• It has the potential to become a key resource for discovering novel bioinspired solutions.