New York: It's time to spruce up the look of your drawing room with smart curtains that could bend or straighten in response to the flick of a light switch!
Researchers at University of California, Berkeley, have developed a method that lead to curtains and other materials move in response to light - no batteries required.
How does it work?
The research team layered carbon nanotubes - atom-thick rolls of carbon - onto a plastic polycarbonate membrane to create a material that moves quickly in response to light.
"Within no time, the nanotubes absorbed light, converted it into heat and transferred the heat to the polycarbonate membrane's surface," said Ali Javey, associate professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences.
The plastic expanded in response to the heat, while the nanotube layer did not, causing the two-layered material to bend, said a press release issued by UC-Berkeley.
"The advantages of this new class of photo-reactive actuator is that it is very easy to make and it is very sensitive to low-intensity light," said Javey.
"The light from a flashlight is enough to generate a response," he added in a paper published in the journal Nature Communications.
"We envision these in future smart, energy-efficient buildings. Curtains made of this material could automatically open or close during the day," said the release.
Other potential applications include light-driven motors and robotics that move toward or away from light, the researchers said.
Comments
| Quick linksNews
National
International
Regional
Politics
Education & Career
Business
Science & Technology
Health
Views & Analysis
The Funny Side
© 2012 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.
London based lawyers accuse Assad regime of mass killings in SyriaA report authored by a group of London-based lawyers has accused the Bashar al-Assad regime of "systemic killing" of about 11,000 Syrians, a leading British.... More
Also Read: UN Chief withdraws invitation to Iran for Syria talks in Geneva
Mushawerat president Zafarul Islam calls to revise Muslim Personal LawStating that the current form has several lacunae, President of All India Majlise Mushawarat (AIMM) Zafarul Islam Khan on Sunday demanded that the Muslim Personal .... More
The first comment was the sharp reaction from BJP leader Arun Jaitely, who apparently was picked over Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remark that his government is nearing to some solution to the Kashmir problem, without divulging ..... More
Sayema Sahar's Molestation Saga is Missed in the Glamour World
The 24×7 channels which keep crying for morality, truth and women's rights find hard to see their own faces in the mirror when someone shows them their distorted faces. There are several cases of on and off duty female journalists and off screen women being sexually harassed, abused and even physically attacked by their bosses or co-workers but these cases rarely come into the limelight...... More
