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New smart contact lenses detect glucose levels in tears via simple color changes, eliminating electronics. Early research shows excellent accuracy in a self-contained system needing only occasional photo documentation.
Researchers incorporate graphene microtubes into hydrogel actuators, achieving up to 400% faster response and 4000% higher stress without sacrificing strength. The nanoengineered hydrogels enable untethered light and electrical control, overcoming key limitations to expand possibilities in soft robotics and biomedical devices.
Inkjet printing techniques have yielded touchscreens that detect finger position and pressure in 3D. This breakthrough promises more intuitive interactions.
Scientists developed novel piezoelectric composite 3D-printed scaffolds with shape memory that significantly improved bone regeneration in rodent models by mimicking electrical properties of natural bone.
Artificial ion channels computationally designed with biological precision enable new energy harvesting concepts and other applications impossible in nature.
Researchers have 3D printed liquid crystal elastomers with reprogrammable photochromism and photoactuation, allowing remote and precise control over both color change and shape morphing via light irradiation.
Researchers develop durable, mechanically robust hydrogel fibers with embedded living bacteria cells using an innovative microfluidic spinning method and synthetic biology techniques for enhanced sustainable materials.
Embedding antioxidant nanoparticles that mimic enzymes into colored contact lenses creates an eye shield that protected against cell damage and inflammation in animal studies, presenting a new way to prevent vision-threatening eye diseases.