materiO’beta

In the family of metamaterials, these composites with confusing optical properties, we used to speak about the example all the media took: Harry Potter's famous invisibility cloak, currently in development. We knew these artificial materials for their contribution to invisibility. But this magical device isn't the only one, nor the most promising. Metas use all wave phenomena, whatever they are. Research also leads to highly efficient solutions to develop earthquake resistant zones, to create barriers against tidal waves, to imagine shields against cosmic radiation, etc.
Now, to explore metamaterials possibilities, researchers from the NIST (USA) have built a flat lens made of this material that enables to manipulate very energetic UV rays. Practical applications are impressive. These super-lenses will enable us to reach higher resolution than ever: to observe the infinitely-small for biologists and the infinitely-far for astronoms. We even plan to visualize 3D images. In other words, to watch the invisible and to project images in the air. Metamaterials were known to hide the visible but they will also help us discover the invisible. Let it be said, with metamaterials physical barriers fall one after the other!

Source: http://www.futura-sciences.com/fr/news/t/physique-1/d/une-lentille-plate-pour-projeter-des-images-en-3d_46913/#xtor=RSS-8

Scientists at Harvard University have developed these microstructures on the size of a hair that self-assemble from a solution of chemicals and minerals elements. They tested the technique on flower shapes, and it is possible for them to change the form taken by the structures by exercising precise control over the formation of different crystals, which have been shaped and guided by modulating, in particular, the temperature and acidity (PH) of the environment. This technology may find practical applications in fields such as optics, catalysis and electronics.

The concept of color is more complicated than it seems. There are actually two types of colors: chemical and physical. The chemical color results from an inelastic interaction of photons with the object : we see red, blue, green according to the modified energy of the radiation after interaction. Regarding the physical color, the phenomenon is quite different: no loss of energy, but interference occurs if the object has a periodicity, which allows to "turn off" particular wavelengths in favor of some other.

There are natural objects with physical colors, such as butterfly wings or bird feathers. But now the Nanophotonics Center at the University of Cambridge has used the phenomenon giving rise to the Polymer Opal : nano-spheres with a hard heart of polystyrene and a flexible shell. These photonic crystals are introduced into an ink.

There are many applications for this stroke of genius : according to the voltage applied to the printer, tiny nano-spheres are more or less separated from each other, so the color can change during printing : one ink, several colors! Moreover, if the printed object is flexible, you can change space between nano-spheres by stretching ... and that way you can change the color of the object!

Retour de marché du salon Interzum de Cologne! Une moisson assez exceptionnelle cette année, tellement riche que nous préparons pour nos membres un dossier spécial ou ils retrouveront toutes les infos sur la centaine de matériaux référencés. Mais dès à présent un petit appetizer, avec un panneau fibre allégé, un textile diffractant en feuilleté entre deux floats, un gel en nida carré, mais qui sait aussi être tout en rondeur...

The song is unbearable, we just recommend you to turn off the sound but the principle is efficient. The singer (Carrie Underwood for the experts) wears a dress with a Sissi Empress style, made out of a super-reflective textile and various animations are projected on it during its performance. Obviously, Carrie is a little bit restrained in her movements in order for the light ajustments to keep on working but that's not the main concern here...

the link

A poster that does not deliver the same message, depending on you being an adult or a child. A complex idea the Spanish organization against child abuse (ANAR) has had... The solution is a lenticular film glued to the poster which offers two different messages depending on the point of view. Adults will see the general message and children will be able to also read a phone number, to contact in case of abuse. Of course, if the adult is not tall or if the kid is perched on someone's shoulders...it won't work!

A mineral newsletter, in honor of the new exhibition at Le Lieu du Design...

To be more precise, it is based on the mucus from a charming hagfish (the Myxine) that Canadian scientists from the Guelph University have developped the textiles of the future. Myxine is a necrophagous kind of eel, defending itself by secreting a gel which inflates in order to stick its attackers in a thick paste, similar to slime! Can you imagine? Only 5 grammes of secretion under the form of dry fibres inflate when in contact with water, faster than any material we know, to immediately become 20 liters of a viscous, sticky and very solid substance. The fibers it is made up are a hundred time thinner than a human hair and very resistant, stronger than high performance fibers such as Kevlar and close to spider silk! With one milligramme of mucus, you can produce 10 sweaters. According to the Canadian scientists, the fibers extracted from these mucous fluids could become the basis for future bulletproof vests as well as for our future everyday clothes! The ecologic advantage is obvious as production does not refer to petrochemistry and the product is fully biodegradable.
We should shortly enjoy those 'ocean silks' (more glamourous and easier to sell than 'fish snot'!)

Here is the concept car ME.WE : 'beautiful for ME, good for the others (WE)', the fruits of a partnership between Toyota and Jean-Marie Massaud's office.
A simple aluminium tubular structure, on which is affixed an expanded polypropylene (EPP) customizable body (you know, expanded polypropylene being the cousin of expanded polystyrene, just as light but with better mechanical and resistance properties). The result is that the casing only weights 14 kg and the whole car is 25% lighter than a regular one of the same size. Bamboo slivers cover the dashboard and extend to form the hood. They also cover the remaining horizontal surfaces, floor and roof included.
A crisis-time and sustainability-era vehicle... This tiny cross-country car, multipurpose and convertible, is somewhat reminiscent of the now-very hype Mehari!
What will it be : yellow or anthracite? Diamond-shaped or perforated EPP?

New from ferrofluids! They will now be used to respond to sounds and music surrounding. This project named ferrocious is being funded on Kickstarter and has already far exceeded its goals. An electromagnet located at the top of the tank responds to sound thereby causing a movement from the ferrofluide. His reaction is around 250Hz and below, which means it reacts to sounds of drums or voice. It is still possible to fund this project for a week to be among the first to receive this technological sculpture and to compare the reaction of the fluid with blues or rock. The creator of this electronic sculpture first discovered users's videos playing with ferrofluide on Youtube, he needed a good excuse to play with it in his turn! That is done!