Biomimetic Non-Reflective Coating for Solar Cells Wins MADMEC
CAMBRIDGE, MA - Biomimicry — known as “innovation inspired by nature” — has led to the invention of bullet trains, vaccines, adhesives and light bulbs, among other things. Add to that list the winning invention of the MADMEC competition. Influenced by the anti-reflective wings of the glasswing butterfly, an MIT team created a low-cost coating for solar cells that mitigates reflection, allowing the cells to absorb nearly all light to boost efficiency.
For that invention, the two-student team, aptly named Glasswings, took home the grand prize of $10,000 from the ninth annual MADMEC contest, organized each year by MIT’s Department of Materials Science and Engineering (DMSE) and sponsored this year by Saint Gobain, BP and Dow Chemical.