Kirigami for sun-tracking solar cells | Michigan Engineering LabLog

Cuts in a flexible backing for solar cells allow a flat solar panel to separate into many small cells that can track the sun across the sky. Tracking provides a 20 to 40 percent improvement in the amount of energy captured by the cells. Unlike conventional, motorized sun-tracking solar panels, these could be lightweight and aerodynamic enough for residential roofs, which make up 80 percent of solar panel installations in the U.S. This video was produced by Aaron Lamoureux, a doctoral student in materials