From static panels to living systems: bio-inspired solar architectures for off-world environments

Théophile Gonos

Independent researcher / ISU SSP25 alumnus

Solar energy will be a critical resource for future Lunar and Martian infrastructures, yet current solar array architectures remain highly vulnerable to environmental constraints such as dust accumulation, extreme thermal cycles, and limited maintenance capabilities. In this talk, I explore an alternative design approach inspired by plant morphologies and behaviors. Instead of relying on static or minimally adaptive panels, the idea is to consider bio-inspired, deployable solar units capable of dynamic reconfiguration. These systems would integrate petal-like structures enabling protection modes, sun-tracking behavior, and passive or active dust mitigation through controlled motion and interaction with the environment. Beyond the unit itself, I will also look at how such systems could scale into distributed solar fields, where multiple adaptive units coordinate their behavior to improve resilience and energy capture. This opens the door to decentralized control strategies inspired by swarm robotics. I will focus on the architectural principles behind such systems, their potential benefits, and the trade-offs they introduce in terms of complexity, robustness, and scalability. Finally, I will briefly touch on their dual-use potential for terrestrial applications in harsh environments, as well as their possible contribution to the human experience in off-world habitats through more dynamic and familiar patterns.