An attempt to reveal synergies between biology and mechanical engineering

Biomimetics is a continuously growing field. In this article specific examples for successful technology transfer among biology and engineering are classified along a newly proposed scheme of the field — biomimetics by analogy and biomimetics by induction — complemented by technical biology. Famous examples as well as niche applications are presented: winglets on airplanes, an optimized straw-bale screw, Velcro, and self-cleaning surfaces and paints, as well as investigations on spiders. The need of a common language for biologists and engineers, in which descriptions at different level of detail are more compatible, is stressed and general principles that can be applied by engineers who are not at all involved in biology are presented.