Smart skin mimics human skin’s sensing ability

May 9, 2022  |  What's New?

Researchers have worked to build a smart skin that can mimic the sensing capabilities of natural skin, but until now, this has been elusive. A team of scientists at the University of British Columbia (UBC) have had success with ionic skins made of flexible, biocompatible hydrogels that use ions to c…
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Automated knitting streamlines fabrication of assistive wearables

May 9, 2022  |  What's New?

Scientists from MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) have devised a scalable pipeline to computationally design and digitally fabricate soft pneumatic actuators. “PneuAct,” has addressed an issue with soft robotics, which required manual design and fabrication …
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Student research showcased at the Smart Fabrics Summit

April 11, 2022  |  What's New?

With this year’s Smart Fabrics Summit took place on the campus of North Carolina State University (NC State), another day of activities was added, which included student demonstrations and tours of the Zeis Textiles Extension complex and the Nano-EXtended Textiles lab (NEXT) at the Wilson College …
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A new method for prototyping wearable sensors

April 11, 2022  |  What's New?

Engineers at the University of California Berkeley have developed a means that will enable medical researchers to prototype test new wearable sensor designs faster. Typically, researchers would build island-bridge systems using photolithography, but this is a multistep process using light to create …
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Smart bandage releases medication when it senses heat 

April 11, 2022  |  What's New?

While antibiotics are very effective at treating infected wounds, it is generally agreed that they should be used only when necessary. Not only can antibiotics cause unwanted side effects, but their overuse may contribute to the development of antibiotic-resistant bacteria. A new experimental bandag…
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New material is extremely stretchable—and tough

March 14, 2022  |  What's New?

Researchers at North Carolina State University have made new materials that are not only extremely stretchable, they’re equally tough. The new materials fall under the broader category of ionogels—polymer networks, which contain salts that are liquid at room temperature, called ionic liquids.
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Smart saddle provides feedback on riding technique

March 14, 2022  |  What's New?

Equestrians must become proficient in relaying cues to their horses via subtle changes in riding posture. A well-trained horse will respond correctly—if the rider is cueing the horse appropriately. With a new smart saddle, riders are cued on their equestrian technique, in order to improve performa…
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Robotic gripper is precise—and gentle

February 21, 2022  |  What's New?

Most grippers work by applying pressure to an object from either side, but this approach won’t work with soft, fragile items and could damage them. A new robotic gripper, however, has found a solution using an ancient Japanese art form.
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