Construction and control of gel active matter aiming at autonomous pulsation by sunlight

Abstract

The modern world is built on motors, which are operated by electricity and fossil fuels. These have been extremely successful at creating cheap and efficient machines capable of fulfilling all kinds of functions. However, they are vulnerable in extreme situations. They need constant supplies of energy that also needs to be transported to their location. This can be extremely expensive, hazardous or even impossible in remote places and during natural disasters. At the same time, the motors themselves are made from multiple mechanical parts that may not endure well in these environments and under those circumstances. Therefore, there is a need for a novel device that can generate power to run useful basic functions such as pumping water. Such a device would need to have few, if any, mechanical parts and should be able to use the energy sources available in-situ. Associate Professor Takayuki Narita of the Department of Chemistry and Applied Chemistry at Saga University, Japan is working to develop such a device. His work is focussed on harnessing the unusual properties of gels that can respond to light energy inputs.