University of Freiburg

Good Thinking

Self-shading windows draw solely on the power of the pine cone

Pine cones are pretty smart for things with no brains, enough so that scientists have copied them to create a unique window shading system. The setup blocks sunlight in the summer and lets it through in the winter, without using any electricity.

An ancient megastructure called a "desert kite" in Saudi Arabia, which is believed to have been used for hunting, is the subject of one of the oldest known blueprints in the world

History

World's oldest known blueprints detail to-scale desert megastructures

It’s hard to construct a building without a plan, but when did humans first start doing that? Archeologists have discovered the oldest known blueprints, with a 9,000-year-old rock carving in Jordan depicting a to-scale plan for a nearby megastructure.

Researchers have developed a new type of artificial muscle using natural proteins

Robotics

Artificial muscles made of human proteins make for better implants

Researchers have developed a new type of artificial muscle that’s entirely made out of natural proteins. Responding to changes in its environment allows the muscle to flex on demand, which could make it useful for implants, prosthetics or robots.

Examples of objects made using the new process, in their initial polymer (white) and final quartz glass (clear) forms

Materials

Revolutionary technique produces injection-molded glass objects

Plastic is a lot easier to work with than glass, which is one of the reasons it's used so much more often. That may be about to change, though, thanks to a new process that allows glass to be injection-molded – just like plastic.

Scientists have developed an ultra-thin form of paper that can adjust its firmness in response to an electrical current

Materials

Electrically charged paper goes from firm to soft at flick of a switch

Taking inspiration from the way sea cucumbers can strengthen their exterior when in danger, scientists in Germany have developed a novel wafer-thin paper material that can transition from firm to soft via an electrical switch.

A 3D-printed cylinder made from a biopaste consisting of 50 percent lignin and 50 percent cellulose

Materials

Wood-based biopaste offers a greener path for 3D printing

Scientists in Germany have developed a technology that could give a waste product of the paper industry a new lease on life, converting the organic polymer lignin into the basis for a biopaste fit for 3D printing.

Freiburg University is developing an hydrophobic material that repairs itself by shedding its skin like a snake

Materials

Water-repellant material self heals by shedding like snake skin

To make water repellent coatings that are a self-healing, a team of scientists led by Jürgen Rühe at the University of Freiburg in Germany has come up with a superhydrophobic that sheds its outer skin like a snake to repair itself after being damaged.

A team at Freiburg University has developed a neural network that takes an art style from an image or painting and applies it smoothly over an entire video

Computing

Deep learning algorithm paints smooth-moving works of art

A team at the University of Freiburg has given neural networks a better sense of style by developing a method for taking an existing art style and smoothly applying it to a video. Artists, including New York-based Danil Krivoruchko, have already put the system to work with some beautiful results.

A cross-section of a coconut (right), showing its exocarp, mesocarp, endocarp and seedling

Materials

Future buildings may be tough as coconuts

If you've ever tried cracking open a coconut, then you're no doubt aware of how strong they are. Well, scientists recently analyzed coconut shells, to see what makes them so tough. Their findings could lead the way to building materials that are better able to withstand earthquakes.