Collaborate Disseminate
Nissan has demonstrated a new automotive paint that can drastically cool a vehicle parked in direct sunshine. Tests have shown that treated cars stay up to 21.6 °F (12 °C) cooler than untreated cars parked side by side.Continue ReadingCategory: Materia… Continue reading Nissan’s new paint cools cars by up to 21 °F in direct sunlight
Having lots of glass surfaces can brighten up a room, but it also lets in too much heat as well as neighbors’ prying eyes. A new metamaterial is not only more transparent to light, but adds privacy, cools the room inside, and automatically cleans itsel… Continue reading More transparent than glass, new material cools rooms and self-cleans
After decades of physics-based theorizing, researchers have succeeded in creating a novel optical metamaterial using conventional materials. Its enhanced electromagnetic effect may make true one-way glass a reality and solar panels more efficient.Conti… Continue reading Novel optical metamaterial may make true one-way glass a reality
Researchers have developed a battery-free sensor that reacts to sound waves, such as particular spoken words, producing enough vibrational energy to power an electronic device. The novel sensor would not only reduce battery waste but could also power m… Continue reading Battery-free sensor harnesses the power of speech
Complex behaviors can arise from simple mechanics, and that’s demonstrated by a block of rubber that acts as a counter. The block contains beams, and by controlling how the block …read more Continue reading This Block of Rubber Can Count To Ten
Engineers at the University of Minnesota have developed a new system that can move objects without making physical contact. The technique involves ultrasound waves acting on specialized surfaces to push or even pull objects in different directions, whi… Continue reading Ultrasound metasurfaces move large objects without touching them
“Optical tweezers” – systems that focus light to trap and manipulate individual atoms – could pave the way for powerful quantum devices, but they can be a little cumbersome. Researchers have now developed a simplified, smaller design for optical tweeze… Continue reading Nanopillared lenses let scientists trap individual atoms with light
If you’ve got a mechatronic project in mind, a 3D printer can be a big help. Gears, levers, adapters, enclosures — if you can dream it up, a 3D printer …read more Continue reading 3D-Printing Complex Sensors and Controls with Metamaterials
Optical microscopes depend on light, of course, but they are also limited by that same light. Typically, anything under 200 nanometers just blurs together because of the wavelength of the …read more Continue reading Optical Microscope Resolves Down to 40 Nanometers
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a great tool for diagnosing disease in different organs and tissues, but it can be costly and cumbersome. Now, engineers at the Boston University Photonics Center have developed a new device, small enough f… Continue reading Magnetic metamaterial amplifies MRI for clearer images in less time