Light-Activated Curtains Move with New Materials Technology (Video)

Remote-controlled curtains may move with the push of a button, but what if they moved completely by themselves? Scientists have discovered a way to create material that moves in response to light with no batteries required. The material could be used for curtains and other applications in the future.

So how exactly does this material work? The researchers layered carbon nanotubes onto plastic polycarbonate membrane. This created a material that moves quickly in response to light. Within fractions of a second, the nanotubes absorb light, convert it into heat and transfer the heat to the polycarbonate membrane's surface. The plastic then expands in response to the heat while the nanotube layer does not. This causes the material to bend.

"The advantages of this new class of photo-reactive actuator is that it is very easy to make, and it is very sensitive to low-intensity light," said Ali Javey, one of the researchers, in a news release. "The light from a flashlight is enough to generate a response."

In fact, the researchers watched as this material bent and straightened in response to the flick of a light switch. The material could also be changed to react to different wavelengths of light. The fact that this material was so effective holds great promise for its future uses.

"We envision these in future smart, energy-efficient buildings," said Javey in a news release. "Curtains made of this material could automatically open or close during the day."

That's not all that this material could be used for. Eventually, it could be employed in light-driven otors and robotics that move toward or away from light.

The findings are published in the journal Nature Communications.

Want to see the materials for yourself? Check out the video below, courtesy of YouTube.