Robotic tail for humans developed

August 23, 2019  |  Out There

Researchers at Keio University in Japan have developed “Arque,” a robotic tail that humans can wear to improve balance. The device was informed by the ways animals passively use their tails to shift their center of gravity. Arque consists of interlocking plastic vertebrae that use a spring-bas…
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Touch-sensitive robotic e-skin developed

August 12, 2019  |  Out There

Robots and prosthetic devices may soon have a sense of touch equivalent to, or better than, the human skin with the Asynchronous Coded Electronic Skin (ACES), an artificial nervous system developed by a team of researchers at the National University of Singapore (NUS). Sciencedaily.com reports that …
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Conductive origami creates novel light switch

August 12, 2019  |  Out There

Industrial designer Yael Akirav has explored a new way of turning on light fixtures by using 3D printing of conductive filament directly on a textile, which is then folded using origami techniques. When the printed material conducts electricity, the origami-like intersecting folds of the fabric …
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Probiotic clothing activated by sweat

July 29, 2019  |  Out There

Researcher and designer Rosie Broadhead recently unveiled Skin II, a probiotic clothing concept activated by sweat to reduce odor and promote healthy skin. The clothing was developed in collaboration with microbiologist Dr. Chris Callewaert of Ghent University, to explorethe beneficial effect g…
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Biopack offers use, plant and grow packaging

June 27, 2019  |  Out There

Greek designer George Bosnas thinks the traditional waste management process is lengthy and uses a lot of energy. In response, he created the sustainable approach to a traditionalegg carton – the Biopack. For this designer, an alternative to “reduce, reuse, recycle” is “use, plant,…
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Seafood shells for better plastic, packaging and textiles

June 24, 2019  |  Out There

Scientists are tackling the world’s need to keep plastics out of landfills and waterways. One method may be found in making the most of seafood waste. A Science News article reports that the shells of crustaceans contain chitin, a material that has many of plastic’s desirable propertie…
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Poncho design “explodes”

May 9, 2019  |  Out There

A transformative poncho is the latest collaboration between Nike and Tom Sachs. The poncho has taken four years to arrive at this patent-pending stage of design, according to a report on designboom.com. Jarrett Reynolds, Nike’s senior design director for apparel special projects, developed&nb…
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Knit canoe buoyed by 3D

May 6, 2019  |  Out There

VISIONknit, a technical knitting company based in Toronto, Canada, and Canadian collaborators Composite Creations, have launched a 3D knitted canoe. The VISIONknit material can be used on modern flat (v-bed) knitting machines and knit into patterns, accompanying logos and other design features.&nbsp…
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Decay as part of design

April 29, 2019  |  Out There

Could microbes combined with water be guided to selectively disintegrate and then be harnessed as agents of assembly? What would the ecology of a system that included microbes, biocompatible substrates and the contextual environment look like?  Those are some of the questions a team of MIT rese…
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Shape-shifting aircraft wings offer new concept

April 22, 2019  |  Out There

MIT and NASA researchers have developed a new shape-shifting approach to aircraft wing construction. An article in MIT News says the system is designed to automatically deform, in part or in total, in response to the roll and pitch of a plane. The flexibility of the new wing assembly system relies o…
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