More BrandsNature is a constant source of inspiration for scientists. A group of researchers from the Wyss Institute at Harvard University and Harvard’s School of Engineering and Applied Sciences have found their inspiration in human tears, designing an adaptive material that can find application in numerous areas. For contact lens wearers, this could mean the arrival of highly precise contacts capable of cleaning themselves.
The inspiration for the new material is the dynamic liquid film formed when individual tears merge. They coat the eyes to keep them moist, protect them from dust and bacteria and facilitate the discharge of waste. The new material is a liquid-infused elastic porous surface and that explains its versatility. Any deformation (for example stretching, swelling or poking) changes the size of the pores and this leads to a change in the shape of the liquid surface.
So far, the team has been able to achieve great precision in the dynamic control of two key functions: transparency and wettability. According to Joanna Aizenberg, one of the lead authors of the report, what makes the material so wonderful is its adaptivity and multifunctionality.
If you are having difficulty grasping the concept, consider some of the wider possible uses. This would mean, for example, having tents that darken to keep sunlight out on bright days, become transparent on a gloomy day or repel the water when it rains. We can also have pipelines capable of optimising flow rates in accordance with the volume of fluid passing through and the environmental conditions outside.
