Here is a wind turbine that just doesn't quit—buzzing, that is. Well not exactly, but the Green Wavelength xBee was crafted to rotate and hover much like how a bumblebee, hummingbird, or dragonfly would.
Presented at The Perfect Pitch 2009, the Green Wavelength xBee is a prototype of a biomimetic (meaning it mimics biological mechanisms) windmill, which is designed with 19-foot wings of aluminum and carbon fiber. These wings, when rotating, can produce 1-10 kW of wind power.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Biomimicry Wind Turbines
- Biomimicry wind turbines that mimic the characteristics of bumblebees, hummingbirds, and dragonflies provide disruption opportunities in the renewable energy industry.
- Aluminum and Carbon Fiber Materials
- The use of aluminum and carbon fiber materials in wind turbines provide disruption opportunities in the materials industry due to their strength and durability.
- Small-scale Wind Power Generation
- Small-scale wind power generation, producing between 1-10 kW, provides disruption opportunities in the energy industry by providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional power sources.
Where This Applies
- Renewable Energy
- Biomimicry wind turbines that mimic the characteristics of bumblebees, hummingbirds, and dragonflies provide disruption opportunities in the renewable energy industry.
- Materials
- The use of aluminum and carbon fiber materials in wind turbines provide disruption opportunities in the materials industry due to their strength and durability.
- Energy
- Small-scale wind power generation, producing between 1-10 kW, provides disruption opportunities in the energy industry by providing a cost-effective alternative to traditional power sources.
