Imagine a person on the ground guiding an airborne drone that harnesses its energy from a laser beam, eliminating the need for carrying a bulky onboard battery.
That is the vision of a group of University of Colorado at Boulder scientists from the Hayward Research Group.
In a new study, the Department of Chemical and Biological Engineering researchers have developed a novel and resilient photomechanical material that can transform light energy into mechanical work without heat or electricity, offering innovative possibilities for energy-efficient, wireless and remotely controlled systems. Its wide-ranging potential spans across diverse industries, including robotics, aerospace and biomedical devices.
“We cut out the middle man, so to speak, and take light energy and turn it directly into mechanical deformation,” Professor Ryan Hayward said.
Hayward and his team describe the new material in a report published July 27 in Nature Materials.
2023-08-19 18:00:03
Post from phys.org