Eco Factor: Bio-inspired wind turbine prototype aims to be highly efficient.
We often see that the best product designs are inspiredby simple yet efficient forms of nature. Designers at Green Wavelength believe that when designing wind turbines, the inspiration should be small, yet complex flying insects such as bumblebees. The company has showcased a bio-inspired 19-foot wind turbine prototype at the Perfect Pitch 2009 entrepreneur conference in Marina Del Rey, California.
Dubbed xBee Alpha Wind, the 19-foot turbine can be made available in different variants that can generate up to 10KW of green power. The turbine is inspired by the efficient movements of bumblebees, hummingbirds and dragonflies. The resultant turbine doesn’t actually rotate its blades in the wind, but moves in a back-and-forth wing-like way. The company believes that the unique design should improve Annual Energy Output (AEO) over current systems.
Via: GoodCleanTech
