Media Watch Archives
IROS 2024 Concludes In Abu Dhabi, Drawing Record-Breaking 10,000 Participants
Day of Dubai -
Dr. Magnus Egerstedt, Dean of Engineering at the University of California, Irvine, delivered the closing plenary session on ‘From Coordination to Collaboration in Multi-Robot Systems,’ providing insights into advancements in multi-robot coordination inspired by ecological models. Read More
The Sky’s the Limit!
Advanced Manufacturing -
Dr. Melissa Orme, vice president of additive manufacturing at The Boeing Co., and SJ Jones, principal manufacturing engineer, Northrop Grumman Corp.—and some extraordinary additive manufacturing (AM) applications that they’ve been involved in. … Prior to joining Boeing in 2019, Melissa [Orme] was a professor of mechanical and aerospace engineering at the University of California-Irvine, where she also served as a mentor and motivator for the next-generation of innovators. Read More
The diabolical ironclad beetle can survive getting run over by a car. Here's how
Head Topics -
The diabolical ironclad beetle, which dwells in desert regions of western North America, has a distinctly hard-to-squish shape. “Unlike a stink beetle, or a Namibian beetle, which is more rounded … it’s low to the ground it’s flat on top,” says David Kisailus, a materials scientist at the University of California, Irvine. In compression experiments, Kisailus and colleagues found that the beetle could withstand around 39,000 times its own body weight. Read More
Squid-inspired fabric allows for temperature-controlled clothing
Health Medicine Network -
Inspired by the dynamic color-changing properties of squid skin, researchers from the University of California, Irvine developed a method to manufacture a heat-adjusting material that is breathable and washable and can be integrated into flexible fabric. They published their proof-of-concept for the advanced bioinspired composites in APL Bioengineering. “Squid skin is complex, consisting of multiple layers that work together to manipulate light and change the animal’s overall coloration and patterning,” said author Alon Gorodetsky. “Some of the layers contain organs called chromatophores, which transition between expanded and contracted states (upon muscle action) to change how the skin transmits and reflects visible light.” Read More
Scientists track and analyze lofted embers that cause spot fires
Phys.org -
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine have conducted first-of-their-kind field experiments to better understand the physics of these firebrands, and their results can help authorities better model the outcomes of disasters that are happening with greater frequency in a warming climate. In a paper published in the journal Physics of Fluids, UC Irvine team members describe their setup at the UC Berkeley Blodgett Forest Research Station in California's Sierra Nevada mountain range. Read More
Researchers discover atomic-level mechanism in polycrystalline materials
Phys.org -
Researchers at the University of California, Irvine and other international institutions have for the first time achieved atomic-scale observations of grain rotation in polycrystalline materials. … Scientists have speculated and theorized…for decades…We have been able to transition from theory to observation," said senior author Xiaoqing Pan, UC Irvine Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering and UC IMRI director. … "Our results provide…evidence of the mechanism by which grains rotate in polycrystals on an atomic scale," said Pan, who is also a professor in UC Irvine's Department of Physics & Astronomy, a Henry Samueli Endowed Chair in Engineering, and director of the UC Irvine Center for Complex and Active Materials. Read More
Irvine team reveal atomic-scale grain rotation mechanism in polycrystalline materials
Space Daily -
"Scientists have speculated and theorized on phenomena occurring at the boundaries of crystalline grains for decades, but now - through the use of the most advanced instruments available to the scientific community - we have been able to transition from theory to observation," said lead author Xiaoqing Pan, UC Irvine Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering and director of the UC Irvine Materials Research Institute. Read More
Smart Fabric Gets Smarter with Squid-Inspired Temperature Controls
ThomasNet -
Researchers from the University of California, Irvine, may have found a way to produce a material that is heat adjustable. Inspired by squid skin, the developers believe they can manufacture a material that is both washable and breathable and can be incorporated into existing flexible fabrics. The key to this new material, however, is its ability to control its temperature. Read More
User-adjusted warmth: Squid-inspired fabric adapts to your temperature needs
Interesting Engineering -
University of California, Irvine researchers have now invented a way to manufacture a material that can adjust its temperature. Interestingly, this new fabric material draws inspiration from the impressive color-changing properties of squid skin. “Squid skin is complex, consisting of multiple layers that work together to manipulate light and change the animal’s overall coloration and patterning,” said Alon Gorodetsky, the study author. Read More
This week in science: squid fabric, a growing Everest, and the mystery of lightning
NPR – All Things Considered -
Squids and clothing that changes with the weather ….When squids move in a certain way, the stretching of their skin makes these chromatophores expand and contract, and this affects how light is reflected by or transmitted through it. This changes how the skin looks. … And materials scientists at UC Irvine decided to take a cue from this process. They created a material that can expand and contract. But instead of blocking or transmitting just light, this can trap and transfer heat. … Materials scientist Alon Gorodetsky, and his lab created this prototype. Listen More