Gallery: Inspired by Bugs, MIT Whizzes Create Tiny, Liquor-Powered Boats

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    Photos by Michelle Nicole Photography
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    MIT grads Lisa Burton and Nadia Cheng have developed a series of alcohol-fueled boats that cruise around cocktails.
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    Photos by Zach Both
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    Their simple vessels were filled with alcohol, which seeps out of a slit on one side. The difference in surface tension creates a propulsion effect.
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    Photos by Zach Both
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    "We did a ton of 3-D printing to optimize the geometry of the components to make them work," says Cheng.
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    Photos by Zach Both
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    "Like designing the slit in the back of the boat to enable slower 'fuel' leakage so that the boat can operate for longer periods," says Cheng.
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    Photos by Michelle Nicole Photography
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    They discovered the shape of the boat, while important, was overpowered by the alcohol content of the fuel.
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    Photos by Michelle Nicole Photography
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    Higher octane hooch helped the boats move faster, and top-shelf spirits let them reach top speeds of four inches per second.
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    Photos by Michelle Nicole Photography
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    "We could make almost any shape work," says Cheng. "The rubber ducky was just fun. I love miniatures."
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    Photos by Michelle Nicole Photography
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    Leveraging their understanding of buoyancy and drag, Cheng and Burton worked out the key mechanics—how much liquor the vodka-fueled vessels required, the optimal size of the gap that powered them. They were ultimately able to move on to aesthetic challenges.
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    Photos by Michelle Nicole Photography
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    Cheng and Burton recently graduated, but the project lives on, and chocolate versions of the boats are in development in a partnership between Andrés and the Mars candy company.
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    Photos by Nick Wiltsie
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    Cheng calls the process of fabricating the flower "capillary origami" and started prototyping petals made from silicone, which were then attached to 3-D printed stems.
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