In recent years water-repelling materials have gotten better and better at their job of fearing water. But even the best hydrophobic surfaces still take their time when repelling water. This becomes an issue when the surfaces you want to keep water-free operate in freezing conditions. If water is not repelled quickly, it can freeze and end up stuck there. Now Kripa Varanasi, of the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, has come up with a way of speeding up the process of repelling water. (Featuring an incredible GIF)
Water-repellant surface so efficient that drops bounce back off, Ars Technica, 29 Nov 2013.
Image credit: Adam Paxson, Kyle Hounsell, Jim Bales, James Bird, Kripa Varanasi
Akshat Rathi 