Biomimicry is the imitation of models, systems, and elements present in nature for the purpose of solving complex human problems. It is a simulation that dates back to the beginning of creation, but which has gained momentum in the recent period as a future scientific trend.
This included the new study, which Eurek Alert published on July 14th, and showed the scientists ’inspiration for the amazing properties of the butterfly wings’ composition to develop future technologies in various fields such as micro-sensing systems, developing solar panels and stealth systems.
Chinese scientists at Jiao Tong University in Shanghai reviewed in their new study, published in the National Science Review, technical trends inspired by wings of butterflies, which demonstrated their superiority over similar systems inspired by other natural species.
Solar panels
At the National University of Australia, researchers in a study published in the journal ACS Photonics built structures similar to Morpho Didius' wings of a nanoscale and conical shape, scattering light to create a stunning blue iridescence, to precisely control the direction of light.
Precise control technologies are used to disperse and reflect light and absorb color from it in the development of the next generation of highly efficient solar panels and other applications that require precise processing of light.
Researchers hope to use this technology to make opaque objects transparent to certain colors as part of new stealth applications. As well as in architecture to control the amount of light and heat passing through the windows.
As for the scientists at the universities of Saray and Sussex, they were inspired by the dynamic simulation of butterfly wings to develop an innovative material that could be the cornerstone of the next generation of smart sensors. They are flexible, color-changing optical crystals that can be used to develop accurate sensors.
According to the Surrey University statement, wearable, powerful, and low-cost sensors can respond sensitive to light, temperature, stress, or other physical and chemical stimuli, making them a promising option for smart sensor applications in several areas such as health care, food safety, and earthquake warning.
Balls ball and moisture sensor
Scientists are like dropping a drop of water on a butterfly with a bowling ball falling on a human being, and yet it does not seem that it is much affected by the rain falling on it, and the secret lies in the composition of its wings that contain very small bumps that help destroy the drop, and in its waxy cover that works to expel and spread the water.
In addition to protecting the butterfly from infection, the rapid fragmentation of water prevents the insects' wings from being cold, keeping them warm and freeing them from the weight of water that might make them difficult to fly.
These unique properties inspire scientists to develop materials with similar properties to prevent the build-up of ice on aircraft wings, for example.
Scientists attribute the brilliant iridescence of the metallic blue color on the wings of the Morpho Didius butterfly (that is, the color changes with the change of viewing angle) to the small nanostructures that resemble the columns on the scales of their wings.
The study, published by researchers from the University of Exeter in the Journal of the American Academy of Sciences (PNAS), found that vapor particles stick differently between the tops and the bottom of these columns.
The researchers believe that this selective response to steam particles is key to developing new technological applications such as humidity sensors, optical safety markers, self-cleaning surfaces, and protective clothing.
Super Black and its applications
The wings of some types of butterflies, despite their thin thickness, are known for their super black colors, and their blackness reaches 100 times the blackness of charcoal or black velvet. Despite its thin thickness, it is able to absorb 99.94% of the light, according to a study published in Nature Communications.
Unlike some other black animals, this exceptional coloring is not due to increased melanin (as is the case in crow feathers or black cat hair), but rather to the intricate structure of the flanked wings, the surface of which is formed of a network of ridges and holes directing light inward as it works Column-like nanostructures disperse and absorb.
Because of its ability to "capture" light, this ultra-black color can improve the performance of optical instruments, and for this reason it is used today in astronomy and space. It also finds its importance in increasing the efficiency of solar panels to absorb more solar energy.
Chinese researchers say in their new study referred to that more research is needed to take advantage of the characteristics of butterfly wings in the manufacture of functional systems with multiple responses and high efficiencies that enable to meet global energy shortages and global health environmental degradation.