The main problem with the current generation of conductive materials is that most of them are not durable. Metal and wire can bend but can withstand pulling, twisting, and another twisting. There, carbon nanotubes come into play. These 1.3 nm small tubes have a thinner diameter than the DNA strand, although they are non-metallic, they still conduct electricity. This new elastic material, mixed with a rubber polymer plastic base, allows electricity to flow while maintaining flexibility. Possible applications (Real-Life Applications of Nanotechnology) include the knee and elbow joints (initially for robots, but eventually prosthetics for humans).
Nanotechnology really shines when carbon is involved. In addition to nanotubes and buckyballs, nanoscale carbon in the form of graphene sheets can be used to create an airtight material; even atomically dense membranes (Real-Life Applications of Nanotechnology). The smallest balloon in the world is also the thinnest: only one atom thick!
When you ask yourself why solar energy is not being used on a larger scale, the answer revolves around one part in economics and one part in physics. Solar cells are now extremely expensive, frustrating, vulnerable, and notoriously inefficient – the average rate of converting solar radiation into energy is only 20 percent! However, these concerns may be a thing of the past, as a good new type of solar cell using nanotechnology is eliminated. The first tests of the revolutionary solar cell show a conversion rate of up to 92 percent! In addition, the new cells are made of a rigid polyethylene insert with small gold coils that are active in the near-infrared part of the spectrum, which means that they work even after dark. When installed in large fields, so-called nano-antennas can one day create cars, households, electronic devices, and more.
Solar panels don’t have to be big, bad leaks. That’s what Teresita Cochran thought when brainstorming GROW, an innovative solar and wind energy system consisting of hundreds to thousands of tiny “leaves”. Not only does each unit operate as a separate solar panel, but it also produces electricity when driven by wind using piezoelectric generators on the connecting rod. Thanks to their small size, solar shingles are ideal for unevenly shaped walls and at the same time provide unique artistic flexibility to enhance the aesthetic design.
A team from the University of Glasgow in Scotland has made molecular switches so small that a 1 x 1-inch storage station with them can have a capacity of 500,000 gigabytes! Compare it to today’s latest MP3 players and you’ll appreciate the range of improvements. Holidays and you want to turn all of Shakespeare’s works into sound? No problem, Prospero!
Could your morning shave be smoother? You bet – and no, it’s not a new 16-blade razor. In practice, adding more leaves has reached limits and forced razor researchers to look at the leaves themselves. At Schick FX Diamond, nanotechnology is used to support each blade, which extends its durability. Today, electric shavers also have nanotechnology, one example being the Panasonic Arc electronic shaver. Arc has rotating blades filled with nanoparticles, which makes it even sharper.
Star Trek fans will now be glad that the Federation has solved the secrets of the Klingon fear-masking device. We can’t just tell her that the experiments that prove this possibility were done at Purdue University here on earth, not on the homeworld of the Klingons. The Purdue team first assembled a series of nano-needles into a cylindrical shape and then manipulated the field to protect the light around it. In fact, a very small area is invisible – in other words, a cover device! Note that the experiment succeeded in avoiding the wavelength of light, which is far from the very wide visible spectrum. But it’s a start, and even Klingons should start everywhere.
Given that the vast majority of soldiers killed or wounded by mountain bombs and IEDs in the last half decades are devoted to intensive research on improving bulletproof vests in units sent to damage. The project itself has official approval and a nice acronym: NNI, National Nanotechnology Initiative. The $ 15 million contract awarded to the University of Dayton Research Institute at the US Army Survival Research Laboratory is funding the development of nanoparticle armor to protect not only soldiers but also the cars they drive. , increases the porosity and strength of the structure. We can only hope that the improved armor will be completed and introduced as soon as possible.
The Israeli Defense Forces are continuing their military affairs, drawing on the latest discoveries in nanotechnology to upgrade their weapons. One famous application is known in the Bionic Hornet community. The flying device, which is no larger than the average wasp, is designed to locate, track, photograph, and even kill selected opponents. According to Israeli Deputy Prime Minister Shimon Peres: “It is not wise to send a $ 100 million plane against a suicide bomber. That is why we are making futuristic weapons.”
