Bioinspired structures: a review of nature's blueprint for smart innovation

Nature has long served as a source of inspiration for addressing complex engineering challenges. Over millions of years, biological systems have evolved structural solutions that efficiently absorb energy, regulate vibrations, control aerodynamic performance, and withstand extreme mechanical loads. By studying these systems, engineers seek to extract functional principles that can guide the design of safer, lighter, and more efficient structures across diverse applications, including civil infrastructure, transportation systems, protective equipment, and aerial vehicles. This review presents recent developments in bioinspired structural engineering with a focus on four key application areas: vibration control, vibration isolation, energy absorption, and impact or blast-resistant structures. For each area, relevant biological systems are examined to identify the underlying structural mechanisms responsible for their performance, and their translation into engineering applications is discussed. By linking biological strategies with modern engineering design approaches, this review highlights how bioinspired and biomimetic concepts can support the development of innovative and resilient structural systems.