SEM Micrograph of a Moth Eye
by Geetha GT- We have been getting inspiration from the natural world for thousands of years and solving our problems by learning the entrenched concepts in nature (Biomimicry). Across the world, novelty gain from nature has served everything from illustration and organizing products and services in more sustainable ways. There are plenty of designs for such innovations!
There is a novel technique that mimics the nanostructures found on the eyes of nocturnal moths for developing anti-reflective and anti-glare films. This could make digital devices easier to read in bright sunlight. Moth eyes have a amazing anti-reflective capability that is very important for their vision at night. When light enters from one medium to another, it bends and changes speed as the result of variations in medium properties. The measurement of the change produced by the medium is called the refractive index. The moth eye is covered with small uniform bumps that steadily bend the received light. So, when the light waves interfere with each other they cancel one another out, rendering the eyes dark and anti-reflective. Thanks to the power of moth’s eye.
