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Biodegradable patch could help heal broken bones
July 26th, 2021
UW–Madison professor Xuedong Wang holds a fracture electrostimulation device he and his lab designed. When placed over a fracture, the device generates electricity from movement, accelerating bone healing. Photo: UW–Madison/Jason Daley. Scientists have studied the use of electricity in healing wounds, including bone fractures, but as that requires surgically implanting and removing electrodes powered by an […]
Robotics go underground
July 26th, 2021
Researchers at the University of California Santa Barbara have developed a fast, steerable, burrowing soft robot. Photo: Hawkes Lab/UCSB. Plant growth and burrowing animals inspire breakthrough technology. by Janet Preus Soft robotics have received deserved attention lately, and ongoing research is demonstrating real progress in this science, particularly when used in exoskeletons. Mobile robots that can […]
Soft automotive top stands up to extreme cold
July 26th, 2021
To demonstrate the resilience of the Lexus LC Convertible under extreme weather conditions, Toyota Motor Europe (TME) recently froze the vehicle at – 18 C (-40 F). While in deep freeze at the Millbrook Cold Weather Chamber, the convertible was outfitted with a high-performance Sonnenland A5B/DS soft top material from Haartz Corp. that shielded its interior components […]
Nextiles launches smart fabric software development kit
July 26th, 2021
Photo: Nextiles. Textile manufacturing startup Nextiles is launching a Software Development Kit (SDK) that will allow a variety of industries to have access to their novel human movement analytics captured through Nextiles’ smart fabric. The company blends traditional sewing techniques with printed circuit boards to create a smart fabric that allows for biomechanic and biometric […]
Washable, battery-free, wearable alternative developed at Purdue
July 26th, 2021
The fingertip of a wireless voltage detection glove illuminates when the wearer’s hand approaches a live cable. Photo: Purdue University/Rebecca McElhoe. Purdue University engineers have developed a new spray and sewing method that makes it possible to transform any conventional fabric items into battery-free wearables that can be cleaned in a washing machine. The Purdue News […]
IFAI 2021 State of the Industry report now available for purchase
July 21st, 2021
The 2021 State of the Industry report from Industrial Fabrics Association International (IFAI) is now available for sale at IFAI’s e-store. IFAI members may purchase the report for $79, a $300 discount off the non-member price. Read a summary of the report here, and purchase the full report here. IFAI conducts research annually among its […]
Breakthroughs in textiles for the aerospace market
July 12th, 2021
Astronaut Nicholas Patrick participates in the STS-130 mission's third and final spacewalk as construction and maintenance continue on the ISS. Photo: NASA. New fibers and composite technologies offer high-tech solutions in Space exploration. by Marie O’Mahony In Space, from the needs of humans to rocket engines, advanced textiles are providing some of the most effective solutions […]
The new Space race
July 12th, 2021
by Janet Preus The U.S. has been seriously engaged in space exploration since 1958 with the founding of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration, or NASA as we all know it. That act of Congress followed the 1957 launching of the satellite Sputnik by the Soviet Union. And the space race was on. I stood […]
AR Tech products support Delta IV Heavy rocket launch
July 12th, 2021
AR Tech supplied the Delta IV Heavy rocket with insulation blankets on a recent launch. Photos: AR Tech. When a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Delta IV Heavy rocket launched from Vandenberg Air Force Base recently, it was carrying the NROL-82 mission for the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). AR Tech, a division of A&R Tarpaulins Inc., […]
ESA seeks ways to make spacesuit underclothes more hygienic
July 12th, 2021
The European Space Agency (ESA) is working on a more hygienic kind of underclothing worn by astronauts in their spacesuits. The ESA reports that the Austrian Space Forum (OeWF) will work with the Vienna Textile Lab on the BACTeRMA project to test textiles with improved anti-bacterial properties for spacesuits used on long-duration space missions. As […]