Rigidity is the target of a new interdisciplinary project at the Cornell AAP led by ecoLogicStudio founder Jenny Sabin that developed a new system of photovoltaics that can contour more flexibly to different surfaces of structures thanks to its mimicry of complex biomechanics.Its called HelioSkin, and it was produced through a collaboration with physicist Itai Cohen and plant biologist Adrienne Roeder as part of Cornells new Department of Design Tech, to which Sabin is serving as the inaugural Chair.Image is courtesy of Cornell University AAPThe product works by harnessing a kind of 'nonstandard angularity' derived from heliotropism, an innate biological mechanism found in sunflower plants that allows them to track light by manipulating the curvature of their stems at the cellular level.This process is then repeated in software that was developed by Sabin, allowing for mechanically tracking 'skin' to be developed for use in retractable roofs, stadiums, and skyscrapers.Image i...