Missed Assignment: Week #3 - Biomimicry Basics

Footpads Manage Increasing Body Mass is Mammals

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Most mammals move efficiently by their four legs being the only body parts that touch the ground. The footpads of most mammals are fleshy formations that begin with a larger center pad, and then pads underneath each toe on the mammal’s foot. What is interesting about this formation of flesh on the animal is how it manages the increase of body weight as the animal grows or gets larger. The footpads themselves have to have bounce in them that efficiently distributes energy throughout the animals paw in their stride. The pads are somewhat elastic and give the animal proper cushioning. However, when the animal increases in size and weight, the pads must consolidate for the change by hardening and becoming cushier for the animal’s comfort.

This was discovered when the growth of the animal also showed signs of toughening of the pads on the paws, allowing the pads to become almost calloused and provide comfort at the same time. According to the case study, done by Louise Roth from Duke University in the Biology Department, “The bigger the animal, the stiffer the shoes.”

What could be build and discovered from this phenomenon is how to make our own footwear and prosthesis more comfortable and energy efficient for us. Tires and construction equipment could also benefit from this discovery by somehow creating a reactive material that will build up strength compatible with the weight of the load. Other ways in which this is integrated into design is by creating shoes or tires that already have these “calluses” in place.

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From my own personal life, I have a product that is directly influenced from this kind of situation. I am a runner and the only way in which I am able to actually run more than a mile these days (due to both a bunion and an old knee problem) is by wearing Vibrams. Vibrams, or the Five Finger Running Shoe basically fits onto your foot like a glove, separating your toes while maintaining your natural foot shape in the bottom. The idea is to safely give the wearer the ability to run barefoot without worrying about injuring their feet in the process. On the bottom of the shoe is a tough, textured and flexible plastic that protect the feet. By separating the toes, the shoes are allowing the wearer to run not heel to toe, but by “fore-striking” meaning to hit the ground with the center of your foot. This spreads the striking force to your phalanges, which naturally have bounce to them, rather than sending all of the striking force to your knees, which happens in regular running shoes.

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The best thing about Vibrams is that they keep in mind how native tribal people would run in the wild. Barefoot. By going back to the natural way in which humans ran before, we can run in comfort with pre-made calluses for our feet.