Moth wing–inspired sound absorbing wallpaper in sight after breakthrough
Jun 2022, phys.org
Moth wing as a natural occurring acoustic absorbing metasurface.
via University of Bristol: Moth wings as sound absorber metasurface, Proceedings of the Royal Society A: Mathematical and Physical Sciences (2022). DOI: 10.1098/rspa.2022.0046
Dynamic building facades inspired by marine organisms could reduce heating, cooling and lighting costs
Jul 2022, phys.org
Optofluidic cells:
The prototype optofluidic cells consist of a layer of mineral oil approximately one millimeter thick, sandwiched between two transparent sheets of plastic. Through a tube connected to the center of the cell, the researchers can inject a small amount of water containing a pigment or dye that creates a bloom of color controlled via a digital pump that runs in both directions."I don't think it's stretching the analogy too much to see buildings as living organisms. They have a metabolism, in terms of inward and outward energy flow. And they must respond to changing environmental conditions to maintain a comfortable and well-functioning interior."
via University of Toronto: Raphael Kay et al, Decapod-inspired pigment modulation for active building facades, Nature Communications (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41467-022-31527-6
Artificial cilia could someday power diagnostic devices
May 2022, phys.org
As a bonus, the team created a cilia device that is equipped with a complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) clock circuit—essentially an electronic "brain" that allows the cilia to operate without being tethered to a conventional computer system. That opens the door to developing a host of low-cost diagnostic tests that could be performed in the field.
via Cornell: Wei Wang et al, Cilia metasurfaces for electronically programmable microfluidic manipulation, Nature (2022). DOI: 10.1038/s41586-022-04645-w
Operating a 'smart home' by breath control
Jul 2022, phys.org
For users who can't speak or use their limbs to program a device, smart technology's benefits are nearly impossible to access. Cao and his collaborators used a technology known as triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs), or triboelectrification, to make the "breathing-driven Human-Machine Interface (HMI) system".
via Case Western Reserve University: Yaokun Pang et al, Self‐Powered Multifunctional Human–Machine Interfaces for Respiratory Monitoring and Smart System Control, Advanced Materials Interfaces (2022). DOI: 10.1002/admi.202201202
Also: Dong Wook Kim et al, Material aspects of triboelectric energy generation and sensors, NPG Asia Materials (2020). DOI: 10.1038/s41427-019-0176-0
