Insect innovations: if you can't beat 'em, copy 'em

August 16, 2018 10:56 AM

The technology of tomorrow is being used by insects today. Wired has a summary of six scientific investigations into biomimicry that may make their way into the phones of the future: sugar-powered batteries, wide-angle camera (and more!), waterproof coating, exoskeletal body, anti-glare screen, and directional mic (CES 2018 demo story).

Here are some of the links to the damned papers, but also some paywalls:

1. sugar-powered batteries = A high-energy-density sugar biobattery based on a synthetic enzymatic pathway, 2014
2. wide-angle camera = Bio-inspired hemispherical compound eye camera, 2014 : full article paywalled
3. waterproof coating = Bioinspired rice leaf and butterfly wing surface structures combining shark skin and lotus effects, 2012 : full article paywalled
4. exoskeletal body = Unexpected Strength and Toughness in Chitosan-Fibroin Laminates Inspired by Insect Cuticle - PDF, 2012
5. anti-glare screen = Broadband antireflection film with moth-eye-like structure for flexible display applications, 2017
6. And because that final story is doesn't have any public articles (that I've found), a bonus, semi-related story on spider silk microphones and (with more photos) spider silk can be used to improve microphones = Sensing fluctuating airflow with spider silk, 2017

posted by filthy light thief (12 comments total)

Bugs are so rad!
posted by Krazor at 11:15 AM on August 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

sugar-powered batteries

I immediately imagined having to "recharge" it by periodically tipping in a packet of sugar, and my mind then led me to this: Just give it a fresh cup of really hot sweet tea, tell it to work out how exactly improbable the idea of a sugar-powered battery is, and see what happens...
posted by Greg_Ace at 12:24 PM on August 16, 2018 [5 favorites]

If a future battery company names themselves Soylent, run.
posted by Revvy at 12:26 PM on August 16, 2018 [5 favorites]

I immediately imagined having to "recharge" it by periodically tipping in a packet of sugar

How about some lunch meat instead?
posted by Strange Interlude at 1:10 PM on August 16, 2018 [4 favorites]

No thanks, I'm trying to quit.

(also, that's hilarious)
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:30 PM on August 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

I'm really sweet on this sugar battery idea. Battery technology has been so slow to evolve. I think that will change drastically in the next couple of years.
posted by Dillionaire at 1:44 PM on August 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

I hope they don't make your phone jittery.
posted by Greg_Ace at 1:47 PM on August 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

Bruce Sterling's lovely post-cyberpunk story "Taklamakan" has special-ops-ish folks using rock climbing equipment powered by sugar —

"Katrinko had put up the emission-free encystment web at the mouth of their crevice. With Pete returned to relative safety, she reeled in their smart-ropes and fed them a handful of sugar."

"Pete pulled his gelcam drill. He had lost the sugar reserves along with the haulbags. Without sugar to metabolize, the little enzyme-driven rotor would starve and be useless soon. That fact could not be helped. Pete pressed the device against the hull, waited as it punched its way through, and squirted in a gelcam to follow."
posted by Glomar response at 1:58 PM on August 16, 2018 [7 favorites]

Talking about sugar-based batteries, well, is this where I make a comment about what happens when the battery starts bulging?
posted by Samizdata at 2:40 PM on August 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

> Glomar response:
"Bruce Sterling's lovely post-cyberpunk story "Taklamakan" has special-ops-ish folks using rock climbing equipment powered by sugar —

"Katrinko had put up the emission-free encystment web at the mouth of their crevice. With Pete returned to relative safety, she reeled in their smart-ropes and fed them a handful of sugar."

"Pete pulled his gelcam drill. He had lost the sugar reserves along with the haulbags. Without sugar to metabolize, the little enzyme-driven rotor would starve and be useless soon. That fact could not be helped. Pete pressed the device against the hull, waited as it punched its way through, and squirted in a gelcam to follow.""

Textfiles.com has a copy of said story, BTW.
posted by Samizdata at 2:44 PM on August 16, 2018 [2 favorites]

We're talking about putting my maternal grandmother in a home, should I wait for a mobile with supersedure to come out instead?
posted by BrotherCaine at 4:00 PM on August 16, 2018 [1 favorite]

Ay why would they make exoskeletons for phones we had perfectly sturdy phones and they flipped shut it was great you could throw them across the room nothing happened now it's all shitty glass you look at too quickly and it cracks unless you spend even more money on a case that imprints itself into your pants so even if you don't have the phone it looks like you have the phone. Give me the exoskeleton, for me, I'll go to town! Crash right through a wall yelling "oh yeah!" like a sugar battery drink for your smart ropes!
posted by DyRE at 11:53 PM on August 16, 2018 [1 favorite]