Harnessing Direct Solar Power for Propulsion

April 13, 2009 | Source: Technology Review

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, are using carbon nanotubes to build small, simple waterborne machines propelled directly by sunlight. In theory, they say, these machines could be scaled up to make energy-generating pumps directly powered by the sun.

A four-finned rotor (center) floating on a pool of water spins when exposed to sunlight(Stefan Pastine)

A four-finned rotor (center) floating on a pool of water spins when exposed to sunlight(Stefan Pastine)