The interaction between living organisms and artificial technologies represents one of the most fascinating sectors in soft robotics (bio)hybrid. Now, a team of scientists fromItalian Institute of Technology (IIT) of Genoa has created a system that, when integrated into plants, is capable of generating energy from both wind and raindrops. In summary: an artificial leaf.
The device works in rain and wind, producing enough electricity to power LED lights and maintain itself. Potential applications for this revolutionary artificial leaf include use in agriculture and environmental monitoring. The optimum is in evaluating plant health and weather conditions.
How does the artificial leaf of the IIT of Genoa work?
To work, the device is inserted between the leaves of a real plant. The artificial leaf (or perhaps it would be better to speak of a "bionic leaf"?) has a layer of silicon elastomer on the underside, which generates and collects static charges caused by the movement of the leaves. On the top side, there is a layer of fluorinated ethylene propylene (FEP).
Fabian Meder, an IIT researcher specializing in soft biomimetic robotics, explains: “When leaves move in the wind, the two surfaces touch and separate, creating static charges on the leaf cuticle and on our device. These charges are induced in the internal cellular tissue of the plant, generating a current that we can collect using an electrode inserted into the plant tissue.”
The tests
To test the energy harvesting system, the scientists embedded the artificial leaf between the leaves of a live oleander. This allowed them to evaluate its ability to produce energy. The results show that single water droplets generate voltage and current spikes greater than 40 volts and 15 microamperes, sufficient to directly power 11 LED lights. The same structure is able to collect wind energy through the oscillations of the leaves.
Barbara Mazzolai, director of the IIT Robotics Laboratory, says: “The results demonstrate that the device can harvest energy from wind and rain, separately or simultaneously, serving as an energy function multiplier or self-powered sensor.”
Artificial leaf: possible applications
According to the researchers, the new device is capable of generating more electricity than existing energy harvesting systems that rely solely on wind energy. Especially in humid conditions. Currently, the team is working to further improve the performance of the artificial leaf by making changes to the design. The first objectives for improvement are the shape of the electrodes and the materials used.
“We have filed a patent application on the technology and are analyzing the potential markets,” reveals Mazzolai, one of the authors of the study (that I link to you here). “However, more research is still needed before defining the final product. For example, we want to test the system in detail under highly variable outdoor conditions and wind and rain.”
