SPACELAB: Liquid Lenses

Hey! This is Merritt Opdycke (16 years young!) and Skye Mceowen (16 also)! We are students at Aviation High School in Seattle, WA. We want to send liquid (oil and water) lenses to space! Focus on the future with liquid lenses! Close your eyes, clap your hands three times, like our video and make a wish and it'll come true ;)

Song: "Look Up in The Stars" by Kid Cudi

Links:
http://news.cnet.com/8301-19882_3-20070432-250/liquid-lenses-for-cameraphones...
http://www.varioptic.com/en/home.html
http://www.nature.com/nphoton/journal/vsample/nsample/images/nphoton.2006.2-f...
http://www.varioptic.com/img2/liquid-13.jpg

Electrowetting:
When you Apply an electric field to a hydrophobic (not mixable with water) liquid in order to modify the ability of that liquid to maintain contact with a surface.

Reasons to conduct the experiment:
These lenses are REVOLUTIONARY! They have no moving parts, are a simpler design, and require less maintenance. Also, they are very shock resistant
This experiment will advance scientific knowledge REGARDLESS of results because these lenses have never been tested in space.
While one company already produces these on Earth, they are restricted to making smaller lenses because the electrowetting forces in the larger ones arent able to overcome gravity.

Experimental Question:
Are larger liquid lenses able to be adjusted and controlled more efficiently than on Earth, in a microgravity environment?

Hypothesis:
Our hypothesis is that liquid lenses will be more efficient in microgravity than on Earth because the electrowetting forces will not have to work as hard to counteract the pull of gravity. in order to change the curvature of the lens.

Method:
Test two different sizes of lenses on Earth then compare to results on the ISS.

Expected results:
On Earth, the larger lenses should become asymmetrical and not work correctly. In space, they should perform fine.

THANKS EVERYONE!!!! :D

Category:

Science & Technology

Tags:

• youtube
• spacelab
• space
• liquid lenses
• nasa
• stars
• future
• eye
• Outer Space
• merritt opdycke
• skye mceowen
• cool
• science
• aviation high school
• seattle

[Hannahugz]

I was looking up the talent show and saw this.. What is it for?

[SkyeAndMerritt]

@Hannahugz a competition for spacelab! if we win, our project will be sent to space. so vote for us!!!

[purpleandsilver13]

How did you come up with this idea guys??

This is Adriana btw :P

[SkyeAndMerritt]

@purpleandsilver13 we wanted to do something unique that would revolutionize the way we look at things in space!

[ronbmd]

Excellent! Science with swag.

[SkyeAndMerritt]

@ronbmd exactly ;)

[NalivkaAC130]

You should also freeze the lenses so that you can bring them down here lol !

[dragonking700]

@elipb123

dude, seriously? Nobody gives a shit about 'space trash.' I don't mean to sound stupid, but come on, the world isn't going to end because of trash. And using strong lasers? seriously? Do you realize how much that would cost?

And how will liquid lenses add to the trash debris? It's LIQUID.

Environmentalists like you don't do anything except hinder progress. We have tons of oil in US soil, but noooo, we have to wast money on ""green"" energy while buying overpriced oil from Brazil -.-

[purpleandsilver13]

@elipb123 Okay, did you not watch the video?? They are proposing an idea that can SAVE money.. I think you are too paranoid to see what is really out there... Maybe you should consider researching with legit resources...

But hey wouldn't your idea cost a TON of money??? Way to contradict yourself...

[elipb123]

sending liquid lenses into space will only add to the millions of trash debris already floating up there. if we want to focus on the future, we need to start by fixing what was done in the past to change the present. we can start cleaning up the outer ring of trash by using myriad tools to rid ourselves of this nasty problem. sending up people to organize the trash in to pods and send them into the sun will be our surefire way to success.using strong laser to blast away trash debris is also good

[gmkpremier]

@SkyeAndMerritt Oh, it's khader