Designer grows biodesigns from grass root

November 14, 2022  |  Out There

Zena Holloway has launched a collection of biodesigns grown entirely from grass root. The London-based designer and multi-disciplinary artist is exploring the possibilities for root-grown textiles for fashions that are sustainable and compostable. In essence, Holloway is turning grass root into wear…
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Thermal camouflage jacket uses graphene patches

October 10, 2022  |  Out There

The jacket is made with 42 patches of graphene, individually controlled via microcomputer to emit different levels of thermal radiation without any change to their actual temperature. Programming the patches to have the same level of thermal radiation as their surroundings makes them appear “invi…
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Digitally knitted structure shelters an outdoor space

September 26, 2022  |  Out There

Jenny Sabin Studios, Ithaca, N.Y., is known for using knitting technologies to create structural and architectural applications. Sabin’s “exoKnit” at Neue House in New York City is a recent example of the designers pushing knitting beyond its traditional boundaries. 
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Squid-inspired insulating material can be mass produced

May 9, 2022  |  Out There

Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have invented a new insulation material designed to shield hands from heat, but, because it can be economically mass produced, the adaptive fabric could potentially have a range of uses. Drawing inspiration from cephalopod (squid) skin, the enginee…
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NASA to test centrifugal force satellite launcher

April 25, 2022  |  Out There

NASA has agreed to test SpinLaunch's technology, designed to launch a satellite into space at hypersonic speeds with an electric centrifuge instead of a rocket. The company says that modern carbon fiber is one of the main reasons why the technology was not possible until recently, as the fiber has t…
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Lightweight material is stronger than steel

February 21, 2022  |  Out There

Scientists have believed it’s impossible to induce polymers to form 2D sheets, but using a novel polymerization process, MIT chemical engineers have created a new material that is stronger than steel, as light as plastic, and it can be easily manufactured in large quantities. 
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New cooking system operates with a flexible mat

February 3, 2022  |  Out There

Italian company Lapitech has created a cooking system that could be completely concealed under a modern sintered stone kitchen counter. Activated by a high-tech cooking mat, the Lapitec Chef features an electrothermal component developed in collaboration with the University of Padua.  To operat…
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“Soft silica” is made from knitted glass

January 24, 2022  |  Out There

Canadian designer Sarah Roseman is working in a new material that straddles the boundary between textile and glasswork. According to a story on designboom.com, Roseman began her research experimenting with knitting glass fibers, working to find innovative and sustainable industry alternatives in ma…
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Apparel developed to confuse CCTV recognition algorithms

December 20, 2021  |  Out There

German design studio WertelOberfell, in collaboration with a consortium of technical partners, sought to find a way to protect people from a very modern hazard: CCTVs that are equipped with AI human-recognition algorithms. With today’s sophisticated technology, CCTV doesn’t just record video f…
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Inflatable hand could give amputees real-time tactile control

September 27, 2021  |  Out There

Engineers at MIT and Shanghai Jiao Tong University have designed a soft, lightweight and potentially low-cost neuro-prosthetic hand that can give an amputee the ability to perform daily activities with dexterity. Additionally, the researchers found the prosthetic, designed with a system for tactile …
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