A biodegradable glider based mostly on the seeds of the Javan cucumber, which float for lengthy distances, may very well be used to observe the surroundings with out leaving polluting e-waste
Know-how
29 November 2022
The winged seeds of Javan cucumbers glide down from excessive up within the forest cover Nature Image Library/Alamy Inventory Picture
A gliding sensor impressed by Javan cucumber seeds may very well be used for environmental monitoring, after which rapidly biodegrade, leaving no waste behind.
Ecologists routinely use sensors to gather knowledge on temperature, humidity, pH and different variables to raised perceive ecosystems. However when these sensors are left behind, the digital waste finally ends up polluting the surroundings.
Now, Fabian Wiesemüller on the Swiss Federal Laboratories for Supplies Science and Know-how and his colleagues have taken a …