8th International Conference on Comparing Design in Nature with Science and Engineering
13 - 15 September 2016
New Forest, UK
Introduction
The Design and Nature conference is to be reconvened in 2016 following the success of all previous meetings, the first of which was held in Udine, in 2002; followed by Rhodes, (2004); the New Forest, home of the Wessex Institute (2006); the Algarve (2008); Pisa (2010); La Coruna (2012); and Opatija (2014).
The conference attracts researchers from all over the world working on a variety of studies involving nature and their significance for modern scientific thought and design.
Learning from nature has given rise to many original insights into how to solve science and engineering problems. More recently the developments of new experimental and computational tools have broadened our understanding of nature and we have been able to interpret better her processes in mathematical terms.
The conference deals with a wide variety of studies, some of them focusing on the fundamentals of natural processes, while others deal with particular applications. Although the topics are diverse, the common threat throughout them is in searching for a harmonisation of humankind activities with nature. The papers develop many interesting insights and theories, most of them transferable between different disciplines.
Previous papers presented at the Conference have been archived on line in the Institute’s eLibrary as part of the WIT Transactions on Ecology and the Environment and the International Journal of Design & Nature and Ecodynamics. The eLibrary provides a permanent and easily available archive of these important contributions (www.witpress.com).
The success of the series is in great part due to the interdisciplinary character of the conference, which brings together a wide variety of specialists such as physical scientists, engineers, biologists, medical experts, as well as those involved in humanities and arts.
Conference Topics
The following list covers some of the topics to be presented at Design & Nature 2016. Papers on other subjects related to the objectives of the conference are also welcome.
- Mechanics in nature
- Natural materials and processes
- Learning from nature
- Biometrics and bio-inspiration
- Biological studies
- Locomotion in nature
- Nature and architecture
- Natural energy harvesting
- Adaptation in nature
- Emerging ideas
- Light and lighting
- Nature and art
- Energy efficiency
- Bio-inspired products
- Networks
Find out more on the conference webpage.
