1 0 A D V A N C E D M A T E R I A L S & P R O C E S S E S | J U L Y / A U G U S T 2 0 2 1 without destroying the cell, allowing us to see minute biological structures that would otherwise be invisible,” they say. “The benefits are obvious; from a better understanding of living systems, to improved diagnostic technologies.” According to the researchers, there exist potentially boundless opportunities for quantum entanglement in technology. www.uq.edu.au. ENERGY CONSERVATION BASED ON BEES By studying bees, researchers from two universities in China found that tiny hairs reduce friction from their movements, saving energy for the insects’ daily activities while reducing wear and tear. This knowledge could help researchers design longer-lasting moving parts. A bee’s abdomen is divided into several tough outer plates that make up its exoskeleton. When the abdomen flexes and extends, these segments slide over each other, creating friction. However, the overlapping portions of the segments show very Tiny hairs on a honeybee’s abdomen reduce friction during bending, saving large amounts of energy during the bee’s daily activities. Courtesy of ACS Applied Materials & Interfaces. little wear and tear, a finding that has puzzled scientists. The researchers wanted to investigate the anti-friction mechanism of the honeybee abdomen, which could someday be used to extend the lifetime of engineered soft devices, such as actuators and hinges. To do this, they observed honeybee abdomens under a scanning electron microscope, finding numerous branched hairs on the outer surface. Then, using atomic force microscopy, they measured the friction caused by moving an exoskeletal segment across either a hairy or hairless surface. Under the same load, the friction for the hairy surfacewas lower than that for a smooth surface. As the load increased, friction for the hairless surface rose, whereas no obvious rise in friction was observed for the hairy surface. The researchers calculated that the hairy surface reduced abrasion during abdominal contraction by about 60% and also saved energy with each contraction, adding up to a large amount of conserved energy essential for conducting bees’ daily activities. https://english.bit.edu.cn.
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