On Wednesday, February 7, 2018 at 7:57:56 AM UTC-8, Soartech wrote:
Interesting research!
https://www.eurekalert.org/pub_relea...-uss020618.php

If this works so well, every swimmer would be using it. It was tried and was not very effective due to we do not have the right basic fish shaped body. We just now have the right tools in 3D printing to sub micron accuracy to explore this space. The limits now are in the minds of the designer, well not entirely. Simulation tools and iterative design methods could help.

Maybe we will see the molds to make our wings go from the aesthetically pleasing mirror finish to some new regime.

BTW...golf ball dimples reduce drag and provide better directionality, by creating a turbulent decoupling boundary layer. Shark skin could have similar properties, just on much smaller scales where the Reynolds numbers are important.