NASA is carrying out a series of tests on aircraft wings that will make them repel bugs whilst also reducing aircraft fuel consumption. These wings will be able to shrug off blasts of insect guts in order to reduce drag, which by extension helps ease fuel consumption .
The aircraft wing testing was carried out in Shreveport, Louisiana, a site notorious for a heavy bug population. The actual coating for the wings is inspired by a lotus leaf, which it turns out has some features that could be useful for aircraft wings.
Specifically, the leaf has rough, pointy features that prevent water from sticking to it. This basic principle, in addition to modern chemistry and technology, is being leveraged to create aircraft wings that won't have loads of bug guts stuck to them, which isn't just gross but causes drag.
What's Driving This Trend
- Bug-repelling Coatings
- Opportunity for companies to develop and market bug-repelling coatings for aircrafts or other surfaces.
- Lotus Leaf-inspired Technology
- Potential for companies to explore other applications of lotus leaf-inspired technology, such as creating surfaces that repel water or dust.
- Green Aviation
- Growing trend for environmentally-friendly aviation technologies, such as fuel-efficient aircrafts or coatings that reduce air pollution.
Who This Affects Most
- Aerospace and Defense
- Opportunity for aerospace companies to incorporate bug-repelling coatings into their aircraft designs, potentially reducing fuel consumption and increasing efficiency.
- Chemical Manufacturing
- Growing demand for bug-repelling coatings and lotus leaf-inspired technology could create new opportunities for chemical companies to develop and produce innovative materials.
- Environmental Technology
- Companies in the environmental technology sector could develop and market sustainable aviation technologies, such as coatings that reduce air pollution or fuel-efficient aircraft designs.
