Washington Post reporter Matt McFarland writes about the new consortium, led by MIT, aimed at developing the next generation of fabrics. “While the tech industry talks of “wearable” devices…next-generation fabrics would literally create wearable computing devices that hang in our closets. What looks like a typical shirt might actually have some of the abilities of your smartphone or smartwatch.”
A public-private consortium led by MIT has won a national competition to create a manufacturing institute aimed at moving the textile industry into the digital age, reports Steve Lohr for The New York Times. “This is about reimagining what a fabric is, and rebirthing textiles into a high-tech industry,” says Prof. Yoel Fink.
Boston Herald reporter Jordan Graham writes that a new nonprofit founded by MIT has been selected as the winner of a Department of Defense contest to establish a fiber research center. “The center and the institute is going to go anywhere fiber and fabric goes,” explains Prof. Yoel Fink, who led the proposal for the institute.
A consortium led by MIT has won a competition to host a federally funded research program focused on bringing the textile industry into the digital age, reports Jon Chesto for The Boston Globe. “Here is a bold vision that’s not just manufacturing stuff that we know about but also enabling a whole new interpretation of the fabric industry,” says Prof. Yoel Fink.
In this “Science of Innovation” segment, NBC Learn explores Prof. Angela Belcher’s work using viruses engineered in her laboratory to form nanoscale wires for tiny batteries. “By harnessing nature’s own processes, Angela Belcher has been able to turn today’s viruses into tomorrow’s batteries.”
In this Science Nation video, Miles O’Brien explores Prof. Polina Anikeeva’s work developing a tool to repair nerve damage. “It would be wonderful if we were able to regenerate the spinal cord and restore the movement or if we were able to bypass the spinal cord with a device that mimics its function,” explains Anikeeva.
Prof. Ju Li and graduate students Sangtae Kim and Soon Ju Choi have developed a device that harvests human motion for electrical power, reports Krithika Varagur for The Huffington Post. “This device will make it possible to harvest some of this otherwise-wasted potential into electricity,” explains Kim.
BBC News reporter David Gibson writes that MIT researchers have developed a thin, transparent film that can store solar energy for later use. Gibson writes that the polymer could be used to de-ice windshields, “heat seats and steering wheels, or even let you solar charge your socks before a motorcycle ride.”
Researchers at MIT have developed an incandescent light bulb that vastly improves the device’s energy efficiency, The Economist reports. The modified bulb “maintains the technology’s advantages while vastly improving its energy credentials, giving it the potential to trounce CFLs and LEDs.”
Fortune reporter Hilary Brueck writes that MIT researchers have developed a new flexible battery that can harness energy from a range of motions, including walking. Brueck explains that the “bendy battery works best with normal, human-scale activity, like walking, poking, and bending.”
Boston.com reporter Eric Levenson writes that MIT researchers have developed a polymer material capable of storing solar energy and releasing it later as heat. The “polymer being developed would store the sun’s rays in a chemical reaction that is then converted into heat,” explains Levenson.
Jonathan Webb reports for BBC News that MIT researchers have developed a “molten glass sewing machine.” "It does exactly what a sewing machine does," explains applied mathematics instructor Pierre-Thomas Brun. "You go from a thread, to patterns which are tied to each other like stitching patterns - but this time they're made out of glass."
Prof. Donald Sadoway speaks with Miles O’Brien of the PBS NewsHour about how designing better batteries could help make renewable energy more feasible. “The issue is that we don’t have a battery technology that can meet the rigorous performance requirements of the grid, namely, super low-cost and super long service lifetime,” explains Sadoway.
Dana Guth reports for Boston Magazine on a new bandage developed by Prof. Xuanhe Zhao that can deliver medication directly to a wound. “The bandage is filled with tiny pathways, so that drugs can flow through its gel-like material, providing relief for burns and other minor skin conditions,” writes Guth.
MIT researchers have developed a new bandage that can detect infection and automatically release medication, reports Jordan Graham for The Boston Herald. “We are trying to design long-term, high-efficiency interfaces between the body and electronics,” explains Prof. Xunahe Zhao.