Important Innovations

German Scientists' Breakthrough Invention Source:  Max Planck Institute Potential Wide Applications Scientists at the Max Planck Institute and the University of  Bayreuth in Germany have invented a transparent, extremely thin material that both conducts and insulates heat simultaneously.  That's a first.  The scientists say the first application is for the creation of high-performance LEDs.  But it could be even bigger than that. Everyday Life Applications Thermal insulation and thermal conduction are important to our everyday lives from heating our homes to computers, where it's important to dissipate heat as quickly as possible.  The new material has the potential of widespread impact as it both conducts and insulates heat at the same time. Novel Breakthrough The team made the material by manipulating how heat travels.  They stacked wafer thin plates of glass in layers and placed polymer chains between them.  The configuration cut...

Adhesive With Stickiness of Gecko Legs Source:  North Carolina State University New Liquid Manufacturing Process This is a new and very novel approach to manufacturing.  A new adhesive has been created by harvesting liquid driven chaos.  It's the invention of scientists at North Caroline State University.  It's said to pave the way for a new generation of soft  nanomaterials including for gels, food, pastes, nonwovens and coatings. Stickiness of Gecko Legs The adhesive created by the process can adhere to virtually any surface.  The team employed liquid manufacturing which involves dissolving a polymer and rapidly mixing it with another liquid.  The chaotic turbulence results in branched particles.  The thinnest particles create a corona of nanofibers that result in adhesive.  The material, according to the team, has the stickiness of Gecko legs. New, Scalable, Inexpensive Manufacturing This new invention is a unique manufacturi...

"Artificial Chameleon Skin" Source:  University of Cambridge Big Advance in Nanotechnology to Mimic Nature From scientists at the University of Cambridge in the UK a new innovative material that changes color when exposed to heat or light. The team calls it "artificial chameleon skin" and says it has wide application from active camouflage to large-scale dynamic displays.  The skin is powered by nanomachines.  The scientists say their work represents a big advance in using nanoscale technology to do biomimicry or mimic nature. Dramatic Color Changes The scientific inspiration came from color changing animals like chameleons and in particular their color changing skin cells, chromatophores.  The team essentially created artificial chromatophores by using tiny particles of gold, coating it with a polymer shell and then squeezing it into tiny drops of water in oil.  When exposed to heat or light, the nanoparticles stick together and dramatically change co...

New Morphing Material Source:  Rice University Taking Complex Shapes Scientists at Rice University have created shape changing, morphing material.  The face in the photo takes shape when cooled and goes flat when heat is applied to it. The unique material they've innovated is a rubbery polymer. Nanoscale Tug of War At the nanoscale level there's a battle for control between liquid crystals and the elastomer in which they're embedded.  When cooled, the shape programmed into the crystal dominates.  When heated, the crystals relax and the material goes flat.  This innovation was just published in the Royal Society of Chemistry journal Soft Matter. Significant Applications This unique material is expected to have significant application for soft robots that morph into different shapes.  Also for medical devices that take preprogrammed shape at body temperature.  For more news stories on innovation go to  amazon.com/author/ekane

Z-Man Climbing System Z-Man Scaling Walls DARPA calls it the Z-Man program and it's developing advanced technology for the military to scale structures vertically just like Spiderman.  Scientists are creating biologically inspired climbing tools to enable warfighters to climb vertical walls, while carrying a full combat load, without any ropes or ladders.  It's a program inspired by nature that's designed to save precious time and lives.  This technology would also prove invaluable in other circumstances such as for first responders and firefighters. Climb like a Spider Small animals. spiders and geckos inspired this advanced research program.  They scale vertical surfaces using unique bio-complex systems.  Specifically strong reversible adhesion or "hook into surface asperities".  Z-man is building synthetic versions of these biological systems for humans as novel climbing aides. Climb Every Mountain Geckoskin has been developed.  It's a st...