SunBOTs: First material that follows sunlight

[Still Waters]

As the sun moves across the sky, sunflowers continually orient themselves to soak up the most light. Now a type of human-made material can do that, too.

This is the first artificial material capable of phototropism, researchers report November 4 in Nature Nanotechnology. Stemlike cylinders of the material, dubbed SunBOTs, can maneuver to capture about 90 percent of available sunlight, even when the sun comes in at an oblique angle, materials scientist Ximin He of UCLA and her colleagues found. The technology could someday be used to optimize solar panels, desalinate water or move robots, the researchers say.

Other scientists have made artificial substances that can bend toward light, but those materials stop arbitrarily. SunBOTs can self-regulate, moving into the optimal position needed to absorb the sun’s rays, then making small adjustments to stay there as the sun shifts.

https://www.sciencenews.org/article/first-artificial-material-sunflower-mimic-follows-sunlight-solar-panel-upgrade

https://phys.org/news/2019-11-artificial-sunflower-sun.html

[SHaYap]

About time, this should have been standard capabilities of all solar energy system designs

~

[+Desertrat56]

in the late 80's a solar company in Albuquerque designed a stand for solar panels that used water to move the panels with the sun.  The water was heated by the sun and as it evaporated in the tube that caused the panels to move as the sun did. 

Here's one that uses a little motor:

https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/green-tech/a9435/diy-solar-panels-that-track-the-sun-15829899/

 

Here's one from a university student

https://www.inverse.com/article/53848-professor-increases-solar-panel-efficiency-32-percent-using-a-water-bucket

here's another DIY option

 

Edited November 5, 2019 by Desertrat56