Device shapes (IMAGE)
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Inspired by how dandelions use the wind to distribute their seeds, a University of Washington team has developed a tiny, battery-free sensor-carrying device that can be blown by the wind as it tumbles toward the ground. The first step was to develop a shape that would allow the system to take its time falling to the ground so that it could be tossed around by a breeze. The researchers tested 75 designs (some of which are shown here in yellow) to determine what would lead to the smallest "terminal velocity," or the maximum speed a device would have as it fell through the air.
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Mark Stone/University of Washington
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