Plastic pieces move like crawling worms under ultraviolet rays

A new plastic capable of moving like a cow in a new ultraviolet light created by Dutch and American scientists surprised many people.

1. Discovered a new form of carbon, stronger than metal and more resilient than rubber
2. Japanese scientists successfully developed soft gel like jelly, 5 times stronger than steel

This type of plastic is made from liquid polymers commonly used in LCD screens. Its movement is caused by the plastic part of the frame exposed to ultraviolet light shrinking while the part that is not exposed to light expands.

Under ultraviolet light, the plastic moves like a cow's worm.(Video: Reuters.)

Anne Hélène Gélébart, co-author of further research, has two important factors that make the movement of plastic pieces.

1. One is a fast-expanding molecule for plastic to deform and return to its original shape.
2. The second is self-shading. The piece of plastic created has a con shaped shape so that when exposed to ultraviolet light part of the plastic is illuminated, and the rest is in the shadow.

The ability to fully absorb ultraviolet light helps this resin create a shadow to generate movement. The movement speed of the plastic piece is 1cm per second, which is equivalent to the speed of the worm.

According to the researchers, the new polymer material could be used to make small robots that guide light by crawling into narrow spaces. This material can also be used to remove dirt on solar cells after desert sand storms due to ultraviolet light movement.