‘仿生’ (fǎng shēng) literally means ‘imitating life’ — combining 仿 (fǎng), meaning ‘to imitate’ or ‘to copy’, and 生 (shēng), meaning ‘life’, ‘living’, or ‘nature’. It refers to the scientific and engineering practice of drawing inspiration from biological systems — such as animal movement, plant structures, or cellular processes — to design advanced technologies, materials, or machines.

The term is widely used in technical, academic, and innovation-related contexts, especially in robotics, aerospace, medicine, and sustainable design. For example, studying how geckos stick to walls has led to仿生 adhesives, and mimicking shark skin has improved aircraft surface efficiency. While ‘仿生’ can function as a noun (e.g., 仿生学 — bionics as a discipline), it also commonly serves as an adjective modifying nouns like 技术 (technology), 材料 (materials), or 设计 (design). It carries a formal, modern, and scientifically positive connotation.