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02
May electricity grow on trees !
Iowa State University scientists have built a device that mimics the branches and leaves of a cottonwood tree and generates electricity when its artificial leaves sway in the wind . They said that the concept won ' t replace wind turbines ,
but the technology could spawn a niche market for small and visually unobtrusive machines that turn wind into electricity . In a paper published this month in the peer-reviewed academic journal PLOS ONE , the ISU research team delves into the world of biomimetics , or the use of artificial means to mimic natural processes . The concept has inspired new ways of approaching fields as varied as computer science , manufacturing and nanotechnology . Small strips of specialized plastic inside the leaf stalks release an electrical charge when bent by moving air . Such processes are known as piezoelectric effects . Cottonwood leaves were modeled because their flattened leaf stalks compel blades to oscillate in a regular pattern that optimizes energy generation by flexible piezoelectric strips . The researchers think such technology may help people charge household appliances without the need for large wind turbines . `