What would nature do? Scientists at the VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland were curious about it, and created a tree with leaves of ultrathin 3D-printed solar cells. The leaves do not only store solar energy, but they also harvest kinetic energy from wind and temperature changes in the surrounding environment. The researchers created the shape of a tree to benefit from nature’s smart design and to be able to catch sun and wind from different angles. The tree can already be used to power small electronic devices such as mobile phones. But the best thing about the tree is that it shows so much potential. Because the leaves can be printed it’s easy to use them for mass production. The material of the leaves is sustainable and can be recycled. The trees flourish both inside and outside. Imagine a whole forest of them.
Tree with 3D-printed leaves captures energy from sun and wind
More of Today's Solutions
A new law in Zambia makes free education much harder for future governments t...
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM There’s a particular kind of law that changes nothing overnight. The classrooms look the same the morning after ...
Read MoreA surprising look at how Father’s Day came to be
BY THE OPTIMIST DAILY EDITORIAL TEAM Unlike Mother's Day, which was swiftly embraced and made official in 1914, Father’s Day spent decades in limbo. ...
Read MoreUnderstanding feline faces: cats communicate with 300 facial expressions
Many cat owners are used to interpreting their pet's feelings through meows and purrs, but the mysterious realm of feline communication is much deeper. A ...
Read MorePoland protects 10 of its most ancient forests by proclaiming ban on logging
In a significant step toward environmental conservation, Poland's newly appointed climate and environment minister, Paulina Hennig-Kloska, declared a half-year halt on logging in ten ...
Read More
