transformational

Tunable Material

Aug 05, 2018Comments off

Liquid film with switchable properties Dynamic natural processes are inspiring a new generation of adaptive material technologies. The tears that coat human eyes, for example,

Vascular Skin

Jul 15, 2018Comments off

Responsive membrane window Hydrogels are polymeric materials capable of retaining large quantities of water within three-dimensional networks. Researchers at the MIT Media Lab sought to

Swing Time

Jul 08, 2018Comments off

Interactive illuminated playscape Swing Time is an illuminated playscape consisting of twenty interactive swings. Designed to provide an ad hoc city park by activating unused

Photoluminescent Bioplastic

Jun 24, 2018Comments off

Light-emitting biopolymer Bioplastics offer a broad range of characteristics suitable for design and architectural applications. Architect Peter Yeadon experiments with various configurations of bioplastics and

Van Gogh Path

Apr 22, 2018Comments off

Photoluminescent paving surface The Smart Highway project, developed by Studio Roosegaarde and Heijmans, envisions responsive roadways that employ energy, light, and data to create safer

Flectofin

Apr 15, 2018Comments off

Fiber-reinforced plastic with differentiated stiffness The Flectofin is a hingeless flapping apparatus inspired by the deformation principle found in the plant Strelitzia reginae, a flowering

Lotus

Feb 11, 2018Comments off

Smart foil responsive surface Lotus is a responsive surface made of pieces of smart foil that fold open in response to human proximity. When one

Smart Bandage

Dec 03, 2017Comments off

Color-changing fibers for wound healing The smart bandage improves wound supervision by communicating healing problems, such as infection. Developed by Australia’s Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial

Bloom

Nov 19, 2017Comments off

Sound-modulating architectural textile system Bloom is an acoustically tunable textile surface designed for spaces with varying acoustic needs. The shape-changing suspended ceiling is composed of

Self-Flexing Membrane

Sep 24, 2017Comments off

Vapor-responsive artificial skin Self-Flexing Membrane is a synthetic skin developed by researchers at the Max Planck Institute of Colloids and Interfaces. The membrane is extremely