Biomimicry

"Harvard scientists say that they've managed to replicate one of the most fascinating organs of the animal kingdom in a lab. Their finely-detailed synthetic shark skin could make some of the fastest underwater robots around, and maybe even one day grace human wetsuits or the hulls of ships."

"Speedo’s cutting edge new Nemesis Fins are making waves in the swimming world. The most comfortable fitness and swim training fin on the market, Speedo’s new Nemesis Fin was designed using biomimicry and inspired by the pectoral fin of the Humpback Whale. The scalloped outer edge of the fins, like that of the Humpback Whale, creates greater surface area for water to pass over versus a smooth, straight edge. This technology creates enhanced propulsion, allowing the swimmer to push more water during kicking drills and training sets."

"Octopi are pro swimmers, thanks (at least in part) to that octet of arms they've got going on. They've adopted a particular swimming gait called sculling, which works great for them, but until they start publishing scientific papers, we're missing out on all of their gait testing data. Roboticists have had to start from scratch, and along the way, they've experimented with some swimming gaits that we've never seen a real octopus try and pull off."