Tiles

Using a temperature-driven "wax motor," researchers have created an adaptive roof tile system that helps keep a room at a comfortable 18 °C (65 °F). It delivers an extraordinary 3.1X reduction in cooling energy consumption, and 2.6X for heating.

A new shape has been discovered which would make for a pretty unique set of bathroom tiles. Nicknamed “the Hat,” the 13-sided shape can tesselate with itself without ever repeating a pattern, solving a 60-year-old mathematical mystery.

Isolated communities often lack garbage disposal infrastructure, meaning it’s hard to either truck out the trash or process it on-site. The Trashpresso is designed to lighten the load a little, as a semi-portable, solar-powered plant that turns trash into tiles.

UK tech firm Pavegen has been harvesting pedestrian power with floor tiles that convert the kinetic energy of footsteps into electricity since 2009. Today, the firm has launched a new version of the tiles and, in addition to being more efficient, they are able to capture footfall data.

Pavegen Systems and Schneider Electric partnered to install energy harvesting tiles across a stretch of the course at the 2013 Paris Marathon.

California-based company Solar3D has announced it is conducting a study to explore the potential for integrating its 3D solar cell technology directly into roof tiles.

Pavegen tiles hopes to power areas high in foot traffic with their award-winning design.

UrbanTiles are a window blind concept that incorporate a small solar panel that can be flipped to reveal a light emitting OLED screen.

Glass tiles from Swedish company, Soltech Energy, allow the sun to heat air that is used to heat the house and cut energy bills.

Queen's University's Human Media Lab has unveiled a board game where images are projected onto the cards.

A team of MIT graduates has demonstrated a thermally-activated, color-changing, roofing material called “Thermeleon” that helps reflect heat in summer and absorb heat in winter.

September 22, 2006 “We change our clothing, handbags and shoes with the season, why not our tile?” posits Nancy Epstein, CEO of Artistic Tile , and head of ne