The outlook for new technology

In case you haven't already added it to your buzz-word lexicon, "biomimetics" is the science of studying and then copying nature's own engineering processes. Researchers are finding many innovations worth copying in the earth's most ancient laboratory: the ocean.

EDN previously reported that a relative of the starfish had showed researchers at Lucent Technologies' Bell Labs how to build tiny lenses (Reference 1). Now, scientists at the same institution have found that the body of a certain variety of deep-sea sponge contains optical fibers similar to those used in today's telecommunications networks. The Venus Flower Basket's fibers, though not as transparent as the synthetic stuff, are far more resistant to cracks (Picture). What's more, the organism creates the fibers via chemical deposition at seawater temperature—a far cry from the expensive, heat-intensive process we use.

Bell Labs is far from the only outfit looking to steal from—er, pay homage to—nature. Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories are constructing materials that resemble seashells and diatoms (unicellular algae) on the nanoscale. By studying the physical and chemical principles behind the formation of these biological materials, the scientists hope to achieve similar control over synthetic nanomaterials. The techniques could yield materials that would be useful in a range of applications, including microelectronics, chemical sensing, energy storage, and optical storage.

Reference

1. Miller, Matthew, "Marine invertebrates build advanced microlenses," EDN, May 15, 2003, pg 28.

Fuel cells hold promise for powering mobile electronic devices because they create power from cheap organic fuels, which might be distributed in liquid-filled cartridges. The rub is that, to generate lots of power, a fuel cell needs lots of surface area upon which its chemicals can react—a mandate that's antithetical to size-conscious mobile-product designs. STMicroelectronics says it has made progress toward overcoming the problem by developing a layer of silicon that contains millions of tiny pores. Measuring just a few nanometers in diameter, the pores maximize reactive surface area. The company hopes to turn the innovation into cell-phone fuel cells, which would need to provide 300 mA at 3.6V but occupy no more than 12 cm³.

It may sound ironic, but it's true: Researchers at Xerox have developed a technology for making copy-proof documents (Picture). Known as Glossmark, the technique varies the level of gloss on the page to create holographlike images that contain hidden information visible only when you tilt the paper. Office printers can create the images, but scanners and copiers can't capture the embedded information, making the technology suitable for document-authentication applications. The process has two additional advantages over holograms and other devices that are used for authentication today: It allows users to embed variable information, such as time stamps, and it requires no additional printing steps.

Like many innovations, Glossmark owes its existence to clever people who decided to view a problem as an opportunity. The printing industry typically classifies "differential gloss" as a defect, but the Xerox researchers realized that they could harness the effect to their advantage.