From the Hottest Sands to the Coldest Ice – Great Technology
The one both repels and attracts water in Saharan-like environments, while the other enables Polar Bears to walk on ice with feet that truly grip. We’re talking technology that exists in the animal kingdom and has been adapted to humanity.
Implementation of the Beetle tech is on airplane windshields where air safety is critically affected by frost. Defrosting the windshield is not an option but a necessity. Keep the water off the windshield and no frost forms. Better than trying to heat with defrosters – a more costly and time consuming process. These beetles can both collect and repel water. The two skills together make the best cold weather defroster. And there are times when the defroster cannot keep up with the level of cold.
I clearly remember such an occasion on a drive to Calgary. My little Chevrolet was no match for the bitter cold winds. The frost kept closing my field of vision. Then a truck driver gave me a tip – put some cardboard in front of the radiator. It worked! But better would have been the beetle-back technology for no frost at all. We scraped windows inside and out to reach our destination.
So beetle-back tech would be a vast improvement. Especially in airplanes. Implementation of Bear tech is already in production in Bridgestone rubber tires (video). The rubber really does grip the road. Not mere advertising fluff or promotional banter. The tech works. Scientists gathered the necessary ideas from the pads of Polar bears.
Isn’t it amazing where technology can be found?
