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A team of scientists from Iowa /ˈaɪ ə wə/ State University have invented an electricity generator that imitates trees.
According to the device’s lead designer, the project came from the idea of creating electrical energy from the movement of leaves swaying in the wind. The current prototype looks far from a real tree, but the team is aiming for a final design that is more convincing. They are hoping to create an artificial tree with thousands of leaves that can harness kinetic energy from wind and convert it into electricity.
The electricity-generating tree was patterned after cottonwood trees, which have flat leaf stalks that allow leaves to produce high levels of energy when they sway. The prototype’s leaves each contain a special type of plastic that releases electrical charges when bent. The scientists believe that when the wind bends several of these leaves, the tree can produce enough electricity to power household appliances.
The team said that the device will not replace wind turbines. However, the electricity-generating tree can be an alternative to similar devices that are too bulky for residential areas.
The electricity-generating tree is only one of many products of biomimetics, or the science of imitating nature in technology. Previously, a different set of researchers studied the water-repellent properties of the lotus flower to help them create self-cleaning windows and glasses.
Experts from different fields believe that nature can serve as an instrument for technological advancement. Professors from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology advise engineers and scientists to consider nature’s products of evolution as inspirations for new inventions.