Skip to main content

Shape-Shifting Plastic Powers Motors

A new polymer that changes shape and returns to its previous form, depending on the temperature could use ambient heat to drive tiny motors. The new shape-shifting polymer could be used as window blinds that open and close automatically without a battery or any other power source. Previous shape memory polymers lose their ability to “remember” their original shape after only a few cycles.
But the new polymer, designed by researchers from the Institute of Biomaterial Science at Germany’s Helmholtz Center, Geesthacht, is able to flip back and forth between two stages 250 times.Since they can change shape over and over, the polymers can drive motors. The Hemholtz center team demonstrated one, called a heat engine, in which a gear is turned as the temperature rises and falls. As the polymer mix is heated or cooled, some of the molecules inside crystallize and expand, while others start to flow and contract. That is what makes the movement and provides direction.
Using the polymer, the researchers demonstrated window blinds (photo above) that open when temperatures are warm and close when temps are cooler.
The work was published online in the July 8 issue of the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

LG’s first flexible OLED phone due before the year is out

LG plans to launch a flexible OLED smartphone before the end of the year, the company’s VP of mobile has confirmed, though it’s unclear to what extent the work-in-progress handset will actually flex. The OLED panel in question is the handiwork of LG Display according to VP of LG mobile Yoon Bu-hyun, the WSJ  reports, with the proposed device set to launch sometime in Q4. LG Display’s work on flexible OLEDs has been underway for some time, though the company’s efforts have perhaps been overshadowed somewhat by rival Samsung’s YOUM development. Last year, according to a Korea Times report, LG Display was preparing for

Bing Apps for Windows 8 get major updates

Late least year, Microsoft rolled out a half dozen Bing Apps for Windows 8 users, each one focused on a specific category, such as travel and sports. The apps were designed to offer “immersive vertical experiences,” and now, about six months later, a big line of updates for them is being pushed out. Users can grab the updates now by heading into the Windows Store and selecting the updates notification.
Flexible displays are the Future of IT Industry! A part from 4k and smart home appliances, the CES 2013 saw a lot of attention being drawn towards bendable, flexible displays. The elasticised display idea isn’t something new as we have seen hoards of device concepts being crafted around flexible, bendable and even foldable displays. These concept devices give us a futuristic feel, be it a flexible phone to be worn around the wrist or a phone that opens up to turn into a tablet or PSP-like device. But how far is this future? Nokia has been toying with the idea ever since we remember. The technology sounds very fascinating and the possibilities and the extent to which bendable displays could be used are vast and leave us spellbound. However, these have always been concepts and we haven’t seen any device materialise in the real world. There have been several technologies that were conceived in these years and all have been put to their practical use. But the bendable d