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A UT Arlington research associate and electrical
engineering professor have designed a micro-windmill
that generates wind energy and may become an
innovative solution to cell phone batteries constantly
in need of recharging and home energy generation
where large windmills are not preferred.
Smitha Rao and J.-C. Chiao designed and built the
device that is about 1.8 mm at its widest point. A
single grain of rice could hold about 10 of these tiny
windmills. Hundreds of the windmills could be
embedded in a sleeve for a cell phone. Wind, created
by waving the cell phone in air or holding it up to an
open window on a windy day, would generate the
electricity that could be collected by the cell phone’s
battery.
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Rao’s works in micro-robotic devices initially heightened a Taiwanese company’s interest in having
Rao and Chiao brainstorm over novel device designs and applications for the company’s unique
fabrication techniques, which are known in the semiconductor industry for their reliability.
“The company was quite surprised with the micro-windmill idea when we showed the demo video of
working devices,” Rao says. “It was something completely out of the blue for them and their
investors.”
Rao’s designs blend origami concepts into conventional wafer-scale semiconductor device layouts
so complex 3-D moveable mechanical structures can be self-assembled from two-dimensional metal
pieces utilizing planar multilayer electroplating techniques that have been optimized by WinMEMS
Technologies Co., the Taiwanese fabrication foundry that took an initial interest in Rao’s work.
“The micro-windmills work well because the metal alloy is flexible and Smitha’s design follows
minimalism for functionality,” Chiao says.
WinMEMS became interested in the micro-electro mechanical system research and started a
relationship with UT Arlington. Company representatives visited with the UT Arlington team several
times in 2013 to discuss collaboration.
An agreement has been established for UT Arlington to hold the intellectual properties while
WinMEMS explores the commercialization opportunities. UT Arlington has applied for a provisional
patent.
Currently, WinMEMS has been showcasing UT Arlington’s works on its website and in public
presentations, which include the micro-windmills, gears, inductors, pop-up switches and grippers.
All of those parts are as tiny as a fraction of the diameter of a human hair.
These inventions are essential to build micro-robots that can be used as surgical tools, sensing
machines to explore disaster zones or manufacturing tools to assemble micro-machines.
“It’s very gratifying to first be noticed by an international company and second to work on
something like this where you can see immediately how it might be used,” says Rao, who earned
her Ph.D in 2009 at UT Arlington. “However, I think we’ve only scratched the surface on how these
micro-windmills might be used.”
The micro windmills were tested successfully in September 2013 in Chiao’s lab. The windmills
operate under strong artificial winds without any fracture in the material because of the durable
nickel alloy and smart aerodynamic design.
“The problem most MEMS designers have is that materials are too brittle,” Rao says. “With the
nickel alloy, we don’t have that same issue. They’re very, very durable.”
The micro-windmills can be made in an array using the batch processes. The fabrication cost of
making one device is the same as making hundreds or thousands on a single wafer, which enables
for mass production of very inexpensive systems.
“Imagine that they can be cheaply made on the surfaces of portable electronics,” Chiao says, “so
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you can place them on a sleeve for your smart phone. When the phone is out of battery power, all
you need to do is to put on the sleeve, wave the phone in the air for a few minutes and you can
use the phone again.”
Chiao says because of the small sizes, flat panels with thousand of windmills could be made and
mounted on the walls of houses or building to harvest energy for lighting, security or environmental
sensing and wireless communication.
He adds that it has been fulfilling to see his former student succeed and help move innovation
toward the marketplace.
“To see a company recognize that and seek you out for your expertise speaks volumes about what
UT Arlington means to the world,” he says.
Release Date: January 10, 2014
Source: UT Arlington
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