Biomimicry and the future of transport solutions: A literature review

Biomimicry has emerged as a promising interdisciplinary approach for addressing contemporary transportation challenges by translating principles derived from biological systems into engineering solutions. This review provides a comprehensive assessment of recent advances in biomimetic transportation technologies using a structured literature review of publications from major scientific databases. The review examines nature-inspired applications in aerodynamic optimization, energy-efficient propulsion systems, lightweight materials and structural design, autonomous transportation, traffic optimization, and sustainable mobility. Representative examples, including the kingfisher-inspired Shinkansen train, bird-inspired morphing aircraft wings, fish-inspired marine propulsion, honeycomb-based lightweight structures, and swarm-intelligence traffic management, demonstrate the potential of biomimicry to improve transportation performance while reducing energy consumption and environmental impacts. The review also critically evaluates current challenges related to technological feasibility, manufacturing complexity, scalability, economic viability, and infrastructure integration, and compares biomimetic approaches with conventional transportation technologies. Finally, emerging research directions involving artificial intelligence, smart materials, additive manufacturing, and integrated mobility systems are discussed. Overall, biomimicry offers a robust framework for developing transportation systems that are more efficient, adaptive, and environmentally sustainable, while highlighting the need for continued interdisciplinary research to facilitate large-scale implementation.