Scientists Develop Spider-Like Surface That Repels Water
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Researchers at the University of Florida believe they've created a surface that repels water -- inspired by one of nature's eight-legged friends.
Engineers said they replicated the shape and patterns of the hairs that grow on spiders to create a "nearly perfect hydrophobic interface" on small pieces of flat plastic, ScienceDaily.com reported.
The spider was the inspiration for the project because it uses its water-repelling hairs to stay dry or avoid drowning, the Web site reports. When water hits their bodies, it picks up and carries dirt with it, making the surface self cleaning.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Researchers believe this discovery could be used for food packing and windows -- and in making boats faster and more efficient.
Wolfgang Sigmund, a professor of materials science and engineering, told ScienceDaily.com that the plastic hairs -- placed in random and chaotic ways -- vary in size but average about 600 millionths of a meter.
Close-up photographs of water on the surface show that the droplets maintain their spherical shape. Sigmund said his surface is the first to shuttle droplets with no tail, ScienceDaily.com reports.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}While some water-repelling surfaces already exist, Sigmund's "spider" surface may reportedly be the most water phobic.