These wind turbine ‘winglets’ were inspired by the American condor
![These wind turbine ‘winglets’ were inspired by the American condor](https://images.fastcompany.com/image/upload/w_1280,q_auto,f_auto,fl_lossy/wp-cms-2/2024/05/p-1-91123846-condor-turbine.jpg)
The startup Biome discovered that adding a feather-shaped tip to wind turbine blades could help generate 10% more power.
To design a better wind turbine, a startup called Biome took inspiration from the Andean condor. The massive bird—weighing as much as 35 pounds, with a wingspan as wide as 12 feet—can glide for hours without flapping its wings, covering as much as 150 miles. That’s because of the specific shape of its feathers.