Padberg P2 Bionik-Pfad

In bionics, principles from nature are applied to technology. Nature is full of amazing phenomena—and researchers have drawn inspiration from them when it comes to solving challenges in everyday situations.

Lotus Effect
The Lotus Effect is named after the lotus plant. Its bumpy leaves allow dirt and liquid to roll right off. At the lotus leaf station, you can see the difference created by the nanocoating.

Burdocks
Everyone is familiar with Velcro today. At this station, you can clearly see how the principle works, and real burdocks grow right nearby.

Flying Seeds
At the “Flying Seeds” station, you can see how many plants have their seeds carried by the wind or let them fall gently to the ground like “winged flyers.”

Hearing
The outer ears of humans and many animals act like funnels that collect sound. At the “Hearing” station, you can try this out for yourself.

Wings
Airplane wings and propeller blades are modeled after bird wings. At the “Wings” station, you can use a crank to drive a propeller and thus “create wind.” Wind can lift wings off the ground.

Compound Eyes
With their compound eyes, some insects are particularly good at perceiving rapid movements and surveying a wide area. At this station, you can see the world as insects do.

Swimming Fins
Chickens have different feet than ducks because they mostly move around in water. At the “Swimming Fins” station, you can test how differently chicken feet and duck fins react to flowing water.

Another station will be set up later this year at the “Niedermühle” parking lot.

The Bionik-Pfad and its stations are designed to provide an enjoyable experience even for visitors with disabilities. The route from the “Niedermühle” parking lot to the “Grube Reinhard” parking lot is particularly well-suited for people with mobility impairments.

A special feature—which also assists visually impaired or blind visitors—is the audio guide available at each station. The trail is an excellent extracurricular learning destination for schools and groups.