biomimicry Archives – The Green Optimistic

These RoboBees from Japan Can Legitimately Pollinate the Earth

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Sat, 03 Mar 2018 22:05:21 +0000

With natural bees being reported as dying at an unprecedented rate, researchers have come up with the idea of developing “RoboBees” or bee-like drones that can perform artificial pollination. A team of Japanese researchers from the National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST) has recently designed these artificial pollinators using horsehair, drones, and […]

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Electric Eel Inspires New Power Device

Janina Lazo-Cruz — Sun, 17 Dec 2017 22:28:44 +0000

In search of implantable devices appropriate for medical treatment applications such as the cardiac defibrillator and the deep brain stimulator, researchers are requiring a power source that is rechargeable in vivo, flexible, and biocompatible. Learning from how an electric eel can generate its own electricity – 600 volts and 1 ampere of electric current – […]

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Moth Eyes and Lotus Leaves Inspire New Ultra-Efficient Solar Panel Coating

Mila Luleva — Tue, 19 May 2015 18:53:33 +0000

Moths’ eyes and lotus leaves inspire scientists from Oak Ridge National Lab to develop a water repellent solar panel coating that boosts the efficiency by up to six percent. A team from Oak Ridge National Lab (ORNL) developed an anti-reflective, water repellent, self-cleaning, highly durable and fog resistant coating for solar panels. The coating comprises of nanoscale […]

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Moth Eyes Inspire Technology to Boost Solar Cell Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Thu, 12 Mar 2015 19:24:51 +0000

Scientists have developed yet another nature-inspired technology, which holds the potential to boost the efficiency of solar cells. The creature, which they mimicked is the moth, or its eyes, to be more precise. Yet again, a successful use of biomimicry finds its way in a prestigious scientific journal, showing how nature can inspire great minds […]

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Human Eyes Hold Secret to Improved Solar Cell Efficiency

Mila Luleva — Mon, 02 Mar 2015 11:02:20 +0000

Searching for ways to improve solar cell efficiency, a team of scientists found that tiny structures in the human eye have special mechanisms that can be adapted to silicon solar cells to make them better at collecting light. Many research teams have looked towards nature to find inspiration for improvements in various technologies. This is often […]

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Air Pollution Now Better Controlled Through “Biomimicry”

Mila Luleva — Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:11:11 +0000

Volatility is the property of perfumes or other substances to evaporate easily and give fragrances. In many cases these fragrances are harmless, however factories should always be equipped with appropriate filters to ensure that the aroma does not turn into overwhelmed odor. The pollutants that must be controlled are the so called “volatile organic carbons.” […]

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PSU Project Aims To Mimic Skin Responsiveness For Designing Energy-Efficient Buildings

Ovidiu Sandru — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 06:19:11 +0000

One day, man-made buildings will mimic the human body in the relationship with the exterior. Penn State University researchers are about to study and implement a model that uses the sensitivity and flexibility of human cells to build "skins" that will give buildings the possibility to self-adapt to the exterior, to regulate their energy use according to changes in the environment.

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Self-Repairing, Leaf-Mimicking Solar Cells Invented by MIT Scientists

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 09:33:49 +0000

A new and effective way of harnessing solar power comes from the researchers at MIT. Once again trying to mimic the way green plants work, the scientists now have a different approach, pointing to the fact that, otherwise invisible, the effects of sunlight over solar cells are often damaging.

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How Scientists Made Moulds From Blowflies' Eyes And Used Them in Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 18:39:55 +0000

Along with butterflies and moths, whose eyes have inspired scientists to build more efficient solar cells, a particular type of fly (the blowfly) has been discovered to have the right properties that would make us harvest the sun more efficiently.

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Pea Plants Providing Inspiration for Artificial Solar Cells

Ovidiu Sandru — Tue, 09 Mar 2010 14:02:52 +0000

Trying to imitate the plants and the way they produce energy when hit by light, Prof. Nathan Nelson of Tel Aviv University's Department of Biochemistry discovered a complex membrane protein and founded a new model for developing "green energy", having this membrane at its core.

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BioWave – free electricity from mimicking sea plants

Ovidiu Sandru — Fri, 16 May 2008 13:55:47 +0000

A long time ago, nature set its oceans and the living things in them. There were plants residing on the bottom of the ocean, plants who sway back and forth, as the water moves around them. So, BioPower Systems from Australia thought that making an under-ocean energy collecting system whose movement resembles with the one […]

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