University of Illinois

Mimicking Nature for Fast, Colourful 3D Printing

Brilliantly colored chameleons, butterflies, opals - and now some 3D-printed materials - reflect color by using nanoscale structures called photonic crystals. A new study that demonstrates how a modified 3D-printing process provides a versatile approach to producing multiple colors from a single ink.

Flexible and Stretchable Single Crystal Electronic Systems

Researchers have discovered that certain crystals are more flexible and stretchable compared to current materials used for electronic applications. These new materials could therefore be used for making sensors and in robotics.

Earthsense

They essentially are a spin out from the University of Illinois. They have $1M seed funding and 24 staff (6 employees and the rest part-time or students to drive down burn rate). They have working prototypes.

Aerial Image Dataset to Help Farmers

A dataset of large-scale aerial images aims to give farmers visibility into the conditions of their fields. The dataset, called Agriculture-Vision, will enable agricultural pattern analysis of aerial images, providing farmers with actionable insights into the performance of their crops to improve decision-making and maximize yields.

AI Better Predicts Corn Yield

A new study from an interdisciplinary research group offers a promising approach to efficiently and accurately process precision agricultural data.

Improving Electrical, Mechanical Properties of Carbon-Nanotube Fibres

Researchers recently developed a technique that can be used to build carbon-nanotube-based fibers by creating chemical crosslinks; the technique improves the electrical and mechanical properties of these materials.

Growth in Robotic Farming

EarthSense first robot—TerraSentia—improves the quantity, accuracy, cost and speed of in-field plant trait data collection, especially for under-canopy traits that cannot be obtained by other technologies.

Circuit Scribe

Circuit Scribe describe their history as follows: Circuit Scribe began during the founders PhD research at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. During this research, the founders developed a non-toxic conductive ink that was able to be integrated into a rollerball pen.

Finalists Announced for 2019 R&D 100 Awards

Finalists for the venerable R&D 100 Awards have been announced by R&D World magazine and its new parent company, WTWH Media, LLC.