What do elephant skin, kirigami, and algae have in common? Dr. Shu Yang explains the material science behind nature’s best ideas. listen to the podcast from Lexicon by Interesting Engineering.
Tackling large socio-environmental issues like climate change and global freshwater scarcity, Shu Yang’s team eyes for natural solutions. Imitating two unlikely products of nature: raspberries and sunflowers, they introduces a scalable, solar-driven water harvesting device that collects moisture from the air. Read more
Penn engineers, materials scientists, and designers have developed a 3D-printed concrete solution based on diatomaceous earth that has enhanced carbon capture, is stronger, and uses fewer materials like cement. Read more
A multidisciplinary team of researchers have successfully developed a cutting-edge method to 3D print cholesteric liquid crystal elastomers (CLCEs), opening the door to dynamic, color-changing materials that can respond to mechanical stress. Read more
Shu Yang is named as one of National Geographic’s 33 Extraordinary Changemakers who are creating a better future for the planet. Yang is recognized for her pioneering work in biomimicry, a field dedicated to finding innovative solutions to global problems by studying and emulating patterns in the natural world. Read more
One of the greatest contributors to climate change is the built environment. Concrete production alone accounts for a significant share of all global carbon dioxide emissions. To train students to create sustainable buildings, Penn Engineering has partnered with the Stuart Weitzman School of Design for CLIMATE-CARE, a $3M NSF-funded NSF Research Traineeship (NRT) Award. Read … Read more
In the race to power the world with renewable energy, we look to an underutilized resource from the ocean: wave energy. Energy from ocean waves could provide about 10% of the world’s electricity needs, reducing more than 3% of global carbon dioxide production. In the United States, around 50% of the population lives within 50 … Read more
We won the Fast Company’s 2024 WorldChangingIdeas award. “E-seeds: Autonomous Self-burying Seed Carriers for Aerial Seeding”, was recognized across four categories: Agriculture (https://lnkd.in/eJRCqYMg), Developing World Technology (https://lnkd.in/eE_SvNZV), Experimental (https://lnkd.in/ezuV64wf), and Nature (https://lnkd.in/eac6gj5s).. Read more
As UPenn Engineering Postdoctoral Researcher Kun-Hao Yu transitions from his role to an Assistant Professor in the Civil and Environmental Engineering at the University of Syracuse, he reflects on his journey and shares insights into his preparation for this new chapter. Read more
Sophia Jackson, the 1st year PhD student in the Yang group, has been awarded the 2024 ForEverglades Research Enhancement Grant to to fund her innovative project titled “Coral Restoration of Sustainable and 3D Printed Artificial Coral Reefs.” . Read more
