Self-cleaning

With the help of very high-power laser beams, researchers at the University of Rochester have created micro and nanostructures that turn metals black and make their surfaces very easy to keep clean and dry.

Nissan is currently testing out a prototype that it says could make car washes a relic of the past. The test car benefits from a new nano-paint treatment that repels dirt and grime. The automaker is putting the car through the dirty wringer to see how well it holds up in the real world.

The close of 2013 gives us an excellent opportunity, though satiated with holiday feasts, to look back on a year that has been filled with scientific accomplishment.

Researchers at The Netherlands’ Eindhoven University of Technology (TU/e) have developed a coating that is not only self-healing, but also promises to free car owners of the tiresome chore of washing the car.

Scientists have created an inexpensive, robust, liquid-repellent surface material, inspired by the inner surface of the pitcher plant.

The Laboratory for Visionary Architecture (LAVA) proposes a simple, cost-effective, easily constructed skin that promises to transform dated structures into sustainable and stunning buildings.