Japan's Shinkansen originally caused a loud tunnel boom when exiting tunnels at high speed.
Engineer Eiji Nakatsu, a birdwatcher, redesigned train parts inspired by owls, penguins, and kingfishers to solve it.
question_answer ANECDOTE
Multiple Birds, Multiple Solutions
Different train components were inspired by different birds: owls for the pantograph, Adelie penguins for the support shaft, and kingfishers for the nose.
The owl-inspired serrations reduced noise and the penguin shape lowered wind resistance.
insights INSIGHT
Form Drives Performance Gains
Modeling the train nose on a kingfisher's beak cut noise and pressure waves dramatically.
The redesign made the train 10% faster and 15% more energy efficient while meeting noise limits.
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Japan’s Shinkansen doesn’t look like your typical train. With its long and pointed nose, it can reach top speeds up to 150–200 miles per hour. It didn’t always look like this. Earlier models were rounder and louder, often suffering from the phenomenon of "tunnel boom," where deafening compressed air would rush out of a tunnel after a train rushed in. But a moment of inspiration from engineer and birdwatcher Eiji Nakatsu led the system to be redesigned based on the aerodynamics of three species of birds. Nakatsu’s case is a fascinating example of biomimicry, the design movement pioneered by biologist and writer Janine Benyus.
This is one of a series of design videos we're launching in partnership with Vox.
