The Streamlining Principle
As a naturalist with the Australian Department of Fisheries and Wildlife, Jay Harman developed a fundamental understanding of flow geometries by observing the patterns of ocean and air currents. He repeatedly encountered the impressive effectiveness and energy efficiency of natural fluid flow, and discovered that these systems share common geometries. From his observations, he asked a simple question:
“If fluids always tend to follow a particular path, is there a way to design equipment that takes advantage of this fact?”
The answer to Harman's question is the Streamlining Principle, a methodology that translates natural flow efficiencies into streamlining geometries. PAX then employs these geometries to improve the performance, output, and energy usage of a wide range of technology. Harman first applied the Streamlining Principle to nautical design, producing award-winning watercraft that confirmed many of his underlying theories. Further studies with Cascade Technologies and Stanford University validated Harman’s discoveries and identified specific advantages of PAX technology over traditional strategies. Harman and his partner, Francesca Bertone, founded the PAX family of companies to bring these commercial advantages to the marketplace.
Biomimicry—an emerging discipline
PAX’s conscious emulation of natural solutions is biomimicry, a term coined by Janine Benyus in her book of the same name. Biomimicry brings together biologists, chemists, botanists, and engineers in an interdisciplinary field that studies nature’s successful strategies and then applies them to solve technology problems. From the Greek for bios, meaning life, and mimesis, to imitate, biomimicry is also sometimes referred to as biomimetics or bio-inspired technologies. Some examples of successful biomimicry include Qualcomm’s refracted light display screens, the Shinkansen bullet train, Lotusan Self-Cleaning Paint, the Eastgate Building in Harare, Zimbabwe, and VELCRO®.