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WILD TECH

GEORGIA TECH RESEARCHERS VENTURE OUT OF THE LAB TO FIND CLUES TO EVERYTHING FROM HOW TO BETTER COMMUNICATE WITH ROBOTS TO CURING DISEASE. HERE ARE SOME OF THEIR WILDEST INNOVATIONS INSPIRED BY NATURE.

BY: TONY REHAGEN
ILLUSTRATIONS BY: LINDA RICHARDS

We often think of nature as an obvious source of inspiration, especially when it comes to art. Countless paintings, photographs, symphonies, books, and films have either directly or indirectly taken cues from the wild world around us. But artists aren’t the only ones who see Mother Nature as a muse. Increasingly, scientists and engineers are looking to flora, fauna, and even our own biological building blocks to find answers to humanity’s biggest mysteries.

Georgia Tech researchers are at the forefront of this vast frontier of discovery. They’ve ventured outside of the lab and gone on safari, danced into the woods, dived beneath the ocean waves, and even turned the microscope inward on our own bodies to find clues on how to do everything from help us better communicate with robots to cure disease. Here are the stories behind some of Tech’s wildest innovations.