Re-defining soft robotics with self-healing, conductive gel

April 10, 2023  |  Out There

A new material could help produce self-healing and conductive robotic devices that are also soft. Developed by a team of scientists at Carnegie Mellon University, the substance consists of a gelatinous polyvinyl alcohol-sodium borate base, embedded in which are silver microflakes and gallium-based l…
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Columbia U. researcher turns soil into textiles

March 27, 2023  |  Out There

Researchers at Columbia University have succeeded in creating a fabric that’s made from at least 60 percent dirt. Penmai Chongtoua, working with Columbia’s Natural Materials Lab director Prof. Lola Ben-Alon, began to explore the possibility of wearing “earth.”
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NEWFACET turns to AI for garment design concept

January 9, 2023  |  Out There

Bridging the evolving leaps and bounds in technology with garment design, NEWFACET offers an innovative initiative imagining a conceptual clothing campaign. The designer makes use of an artificial intelligence (AI) program to explore ways of optimizing workflow and creative processes in visualizi…
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Designers launch bullet-resistant loungewear 

November 28, 2022  |  Out There

Designer duo Tian Wang and Teague Miller have launched “Kickback,” a line of bullet-resistant loungewear and accessories prompted by the more than 100 firearm fatalities a day in the U.S. Hand-crafted from heavy duty Kevlar©, the ‘Kickback’ bathrobes are lined with bulletproof body plates, …
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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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