Page 112 - Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature

Biomimetics: Technology Imitates Nature

515-Million-Year-Old Optic Design

In an article published in American Scientist, the well-known US sci-
entific magazine, Andrew R. Parker states that he and his colleagues ex-
amined a mummified fly preserved in amber resin for 45 million years.
There was a periodic grating structure on the curved surfaces of the fly
ommatidia (individual visual organs composing the fly's compound eye).
Analyzing the reflective properties of this structure, they realized that the
fly-eye structure was a very efficient antireflector, particularly at high an-
gles of incidence. This hypothesis was indeed confirmed in later studies.
Thanks to these findings and others, today’s scientists have deter-
mined how to greatly increase the efficiency of solar absorbers and solar
panels used to provide energy for satellites. Work is currently under way

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