Design
Village without cars collects water and energy, grows food, processes waste
A high-tech ecovillage planned outside Amsterdam in the Netherlands is to provide a glimpse of a future of sustainable living. The village will be nearly self-sufficient as it collects and stores water and energy, grows food, and processes much of its own Read More...
Cleaning up the emissions of the construction industry with root vegetables
Concrete production accounts for approximately 8 percent of carbon emissions worldwide. Researchers have now found a way to reduce both the energy consumption and CO2 emissions associated with cement manufacturing by adding nanoparticles from waste root vegetables to the production Read More...
Behold the eccentric side of Istanbul you’ve probably never seen
You may think of Istanbul as a sprawling metropolis full of market streets and mosques, but the city also has a playful modern side not commonly known. This part of the city is filled with minimalist structures, modernist geometry, and even rainbow-colored high rises. For a good glimpse of the Read More...
Your next shirt could be made from fruit and vegetable scraps
The fashion industry is said to be the second most polluting industry on Earth after oil and gas. It requires enormous quantities of resources, including water, land, and fossil fuels, to make fabric. The production process is often harmful to the environment, relying on harsh chemical dyes and Read More...
New elevator design could disrupt city infrastructure
It seems the endless minutes spent waiting for elevators to arrive has been inspiring more engineers. We’ve already covered the world’s first rope-free elevator and now, UK firm PLP Architecture is using a new system to create more adaptive elevator Read More...
Solar powered houseboat takes tiny living to the water
This appealing little houseboat was designed by Quebec boatbuilder Daigno. Named Le Koroc, it's available in two versions, catering either to fishermen or those who just want a tiny dwelling that floats. It also features solar power and an interior layout that makes the most of the limited space Read More...
See-through solar cells will enable office buildings to produce their own energy
Houses and office buildings account for 75 percent of electricity use in the United States, and 40 percent of its energy use overall. The perfect solution for buildings would be to use their windows for the generation of the energy they need. That would require the “miracle” of see-through Read More...
Looking at shrimp for more durable industrial design
Biomimicry is the art of creating better and more sustainable materials copying nature. Many conventional manmade materials come with flaws. Take concrete. It’s very strong and can be used to construct large buildings and skyscrapers. But it’s also quite brittle. A bad winter can open a massive Read More...
Looking to mosquitos for a way to develop painless microneedles
A mosquito can insert a needle-like probe into your skin and draw blood for several minutes without you even noticing. Researchers at The Ohio State University believe we can learn from nature's design of the mosquito to create a painless microneedle for medical Read More...
A new robotic gripper inspired by geckos and pioneered by NASA
Hands are hot items in the world of robots. That's one of the biggest trends out of the Automatica conference, one of the world's premier showcases of robot technology, which recently wrapped up in Germany. Among this year's dexterous, grippy offerings is a robotic end effector inspired by a Read More...