An innovative approach to joining materials that enhances strength and toughness at interfaces, inspired by natural structures.

A groundbreaking technology that mimics the dynamic color-changing functionality of the blue-ringed octopus for applications in camouflage, signaling, and beyond.

This technology revolutionizes health monitoring by integrating smart textiles with body area networks for real-time biometric data collection.

The plant species Banksia speciosa relies on wildfires to propagate its seeds. The specialized coating on the seeds, along with the follicle structure, can protect seeds from temperatures over 1,000°C. Inspired by this coating on the seeds of the Banksia plants, researchers at UC Irvine have developed novel, bioinspired coatings, materials, and structures for thermal management, enabling development of cost-effective and ecological thermal management systems.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis (“UC Davis”) have developed a unisex swimwear garment designed to prevent swimming-related injuries and to assist in injury recovery during training.

Researchers at UC Irvine have developed a sustainable and low-cost insulation material with the ability to dynamically manage heat exchange. This technology circumvents the limitations of previous thermal management systems by offering low-cost manufacturing, straightforward implementation, energy efficiency, and control of heat exchange.

In 2019, the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations estimated that between 20 to 40 percent of global crop production are lost to plant diseases and pests annually, with plant diseases costing the global economy roughly $220B each year. Disease-warning systems are currently being used by growers to preemptively mitigate destructive events using chemical treatment or biological management. Meteorological factors including rainfall, humidity, and air temperature are all considered in these systems, but the measurement of leaf wetness duration (LWD) is important to its governing role in infection processes for many fungal pathogens. The longer a leaf stays wet, the higher the risk that disease will develop, because many plant pathogen propagules require several hours of continuous moisture to germinate and initiate infection The current gold standard to measuring LWD is using the capacitive leaf wetness sensor (LWS). The LWS functions by measuring a change in the capacitance seen at its surface which then yields an output signal that changes according to its surface wetness. Commercial leaf wetness sensors estimate the amount of surface water and leaf wetness duration by measuring the change in capacitance of a surface that accumulates condensed water. However, the one-size-fits-all commercial sensors do not accurately reflect the variation in leaf traits (particular shape, texture, and hydrophobicity) these traits strongly affect surface wettability (hydrophilicity) and vary widely among plant species.

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Researchers at the University of California, Davis have produced continuous, sheath-core, coaxial fibers with highly porous, nanocellulose, aerogel cores for use as high-performance insulators.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed wearable, highly adsorptive, cotton fabrics that can neutralize fumigants in both open-air and sequestered environments.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a method for converting high molecular weight and complex globular proteins such as soy and pea into amphiphilic and amphoteric colloids, sub-microns fibers, and microfibrils important to multiple consumer and industrial applications.

Researchers at UCI have developed a lightweight, flexible thermal material that, due to the extent that it is stretched, allows for tunable control of heat flow.

Piezoelectric sensors have long existed to monitor applied pressures between two objects. In large applications with malleable substrates or where low cost is key, individual piezoelectric sensors are not practical. A variety of applications exist where monitoring the pressure being applied to a soft surface would providing meaningful insights into the system or subject under observation. For instance, in a long-term care setting where patients need to be monitored for pressure ulcers, a bedding material that could sense the pressure points between a person’s body and the mattress could alert care givers that an adjustment in body position is warranted. Likewise, in a sports training application, a pressure sensitive boxing ring canvas could track a boxer’s footwork, or punching power and hand speed if applied to the inside of a punching bag.   Pressure sensitive soft toys could also benefit from feedback that might differ when a child scratches behind their stuffed animal’s ears vs. rubbing its belly.  To achieve discrete sensing in these applications, a low cost bulk sensing system is needed.

This technology is a new class of materials capable of thermal regulation and active camouflage. These cephalopod-inspired materials, configurable to different geometries, can be used in many sectors, ranging from consumer to industrial to military applications.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a method to incorporate and enhance photo-induced biocidal functions on compounds, polymers, fibers, films, and textiles for daylight-driven rechargeable antibacterial and antivirus applications such as personal protective clothing, food packaging materials and medical devices.

UCLA researchers in the Departments of Bioengineering, Chemistry and Biochemistry have developed a novel synthetic strategy for the fabrication of biomass-derived polymers incorporating underutilized lignin derivatives.

Garment patterns and a method of forming garment patterns that increase the perceived attractiveness of the garment wearer by imparting ideal proportions onto the wearer.

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Bed bugs have made a dramatic comeback in recent years, infesting everything from homes and hotels to schools, movie theaters and hospitals. Current forms of treatment (e.g. heat, cold, vacuuming, and pesticides) tend to be costly, tedious, and unreliable. Hiring a professional can be expensive, and unfortunately many bed bug sufferers resort to ineffective, potentially dangerous measures.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a new mechanism of removing liquid from the skin’s surface. The invention presents significant advantages over currently marketed moisture-wicking technologies.

Researchers at the University of California, Davis have developed a novel and high throughput production process of making nano/submicro-sized fibers.