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Solar Power and Moth Eyes

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Moth eyes are pretty special; they are covered with a super coating that makes it one of the least reflective surfaces in nature. Because light isn’t bouncing off their eyes, like a beacon, it helps them hide from predators in the dark. Having a covering that can absorb light is also important for things like solar power. For us to create energy from the sun’s rays we have to be able to collect it using solar cells. Researchers in Japan have created a new film for solar cells based on the structure of a moth’s eye. These solar cells cut down on the amount of light reflected off of them, helping us to capture more of the sun’s power.

moth eyes

This isn’t the only example of nature inspired design, discover more by jumping into the amazing world of biomimicry.

http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2011-01/osoa-iei012011.php

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