Solar desalination unit tested

May 24, 2021  |  Out There

Although a large percentage of the Earth’s surface is covered in water, most of it is undrinkable. Removing the salt, compounds and microbes that make it unsafe to drink could expand the world’s supply of safe drinking water and address many human health concerns.   Desalination is an …
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Soft actuators used to create an insect-sized drone

March 22, 2021  |  Out There

Video: MIT.  If you’ve ever swatted a mosquito away from your face, only to have it return, you know that insects can be remarkably acrobatic and resilient in flight. Those traits help them navigate the aerial world, with its wind gusts and obstacles. MIT Assistant Professor Kevin Yufeng Chen has…
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Researchers create a stretchy “biological battery”

March 22, 2021  |  Out There

Researchers at Colorado University (CU) Boulder have developed a new, low-cost wearable device that transforms the human body into a biological battery. The device is stretchy enough that it can be worn like a ring, a bracelet or any accessory that touches the skin. The device taps into a person’…
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Collaboration yields bio-based garment

March 8, 2021  |  Out There

Designer Phillip Lim has partnered with New York-based industrial designer Charlotte McCurdy to create a dress made of a biodegradable base layer and covered in algae-grown bioplastic sequins.  Dezeen.com reports that the collaboration is part of the One X One project, an in…
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ShadowSense gives robots a sense of “touch”

February 22, 2021  |  Out There

Touch-sensitive electronic skin for robots is a project under development by a number of groups. Cornell University reports that scientists there are pursuing a simpler approach, however, using shadow-imaging cameras to let robots know when they’re being touched. Known as ShadowSense…
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Researchers create thread that senses and tracks movement

February 8, 2021  |  Out There

Engineers at Tufts University in Massachusetts have created and demonstrated flexible thread-based sensors that can measure movement of the neck, providing data on the direction, angle of rotation and degree of displacement of the head.  The discovery raises the potential for thin, inconspicuou…
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Absorbent film could lead to sweat-powered wearables

January 25, 2021  |  Out There

Researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS) have developed a new film that can absorb sweat and potentially use the moisture to power wearable electronics. For sweat to cool us down properly, it needs to evaporate, which carries the heat away. The new film is designed to speed that pro…
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MIT researchers send sensing fabrics to the ISS for testing

December 21, 2020  |  Out There

A team of MIT researchers has sent samples of high-tech fabrics, some with embedded sensors or electronics, to the International Space Station (ISS). According to information released by MIT News, the samples will be exposed to the space environment for a year to determine a baseline for how we…
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Fruit fly eye study could impact future textiles

October 26, 2020  |  Out There

Russian and Swiss scientists have learned how to replicate a nanocoating with antimicrobial, anti-reflective and self-cleaning properties, based on the structures covering the corneas of fruit fly eyes, that could find applications in the textile industry. Researchers from Far Eastern Federal Unive…
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Solight Design launches the SEEUS95 self-adhering mask

September 14, 2020  |  Out There

Known for its solar-powered and origami-inspired lighting, Solight Design, based in New York, N.Y., has ventured into the mask design arena with the SEEUS95 clear, self-adhering, earloop-free mask, which the company says can provide better protection than masks made with nonwoven polypropylene, wove…
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