What are supporting factors for the development of bionics regarding research, public acceptance, or industrial R&D?
The base of successful bionics is an unhindered communication between experts of various fields, e.g. biology and engineering. Both sides try to find a common language. Moreover, a systematic description of biological phenomena in a context of technical boundary conditions makes it easier for engineers to converse with biologists and to consider the wealth of biological varieties. This approach is actively developed by members of the Bionics Competence Network, in particular by the BIOKON centers of Saarbrcken, Mnster, Ilmenau, and Freiburg. The hitherto coincidental finding of possible applications or solutions is turned into a well-assessable step in the process of doing bionics. Of course, bionic research depends on funding, since nature does not license its ‘patents’ for nothing. Many biological principles are still poorly understood, so that often, the necessary periods of time for biological basic research as part of R&D projects cannot realistically be estimated. If profound ana
