Biomimicry of Crocodile

This post focus on the proposed design that can be used in the industry inspired by the crocodile.  As we know, crocodiles have very tough epidermal scales that consist keratin and bony plates for protection. The scales are unique as they result from cracking of the hardened skin rather than their shape being genetically determined. Dome pressure receptors (DPR) or Integumentary Sensory organs (ISOs) are the sensors on the scales with fingertip sensitivity. Some crocodile (eg. Caiman) has the sensors on the head since embryos stage before the skin start to crack and form scales while some other crocodile (eg. Nile Crocodile) has developed the sensors all over their body. The DPR contained mechano-sensory receptor to detect touch, thermo-sensory receptor to detect temperature and chemo-sensory receptor to detect chemical stimuli. DPR allows the crocodiles to be capable to hunt prey in the dark by detecting the surface pressure waves. The thermal sensors help them to keep thei

This post discuss about other ideas or inventions that was inspired by the crocodile.  1. Flexible armor modeled from crocodiles Taking a page from the biological playbook of animals like crocodiles, engineers have developed a type of body armor that is stronger and more flexible, thanks to its design. Crocodile are born with armor that has a natural level of elasticity and malleability, allowing them to roll into protective balls and rend themselves invulnerable from predators or other threats. Essentially, the armor is a series of hard plates embedded into the animal’s skin, assorted in a way so as to provide the most protection. In a report from Discovery News, scientists used a laser to cut glass in a similar design and used silicone glue to attach the glass plates to a rubber “skin.” The findings indicated an increase in puncture resistance of up to 70% from the unsegmented glass. The reported increase in resistance has inspired the team to take the design to products like bo

For this week’s post, the focus of the discussion will be on several features that was mentioned in the previous post and more in-depth understanding regarding these features. Skin As mentioned in previous post, crocodile has a unique scale that is different from other reptiles. This bony scale layer is known as scute and can be found along the crocodile’s back. Different from the scale found on snakes or lizards, scutes are formed in the lower vascular layer of the skin and the epidermal element is only the top layer. Underneath the epidermal element lies the osteoderms layer. Osteoderms are bony deposits forming scales and in many case, functions as defensive armor. In crocodile, osteoderms also functions as heat exchangers, allowing these large reptiles to cool down or heat up rapidly. The scute layer helps prevent water loss which allows crocodile to stay on the land for longer period of time. This is due to the structure of the scute, which is made up of keratin, an i