A new material developed by CU Boulder engineers can transform into complex, pre-programmed shapes via light and temperature stimuli, allowing a literal square peg to morph and fit into a round hole before fully reverting to its original form. The controllable shape-shifting material, described today in the journal Science Advances, could have broad applications for manufacturing, robotics, biomedical devices and artificial muscles.

Can a new type of transparent gel, made from readily-available beer waste, help engineers build greenhouses on Mars? CU Boulder physicists have developed an insulating gel that they say could coat the windows of habitats in space, allowing the settlers inside to trap and store energy from the sun—much like a greenhouse stays warm during the winter. And unlike similar products on the market, the material is mostly see-through.

  CU Boulder researchers have developed a type of malleable, self-healing and fully recyclable 'electronic skin' that has applications ranging from robotics and prosthetic development to better biomedical devices. Electronic skin, known as e-skin, is a thin, translucent material that can mimic the function and mechanical properties of human skin.

In the basement of the Engineering Center at CU Boulder, a group of researchers is working to create the next generation of robots. But instead of the metallic droids you may be imagining, these robots are made from soft materials that react to applied voltage with a wide range of motions. Such soft robots contain tremendous potential for future applications as they adapt to dynamic environments and are well-suited to closely interact with h...

Feeling heartbroken from a recent breakup? Just believing you're doing something to help yourself get over your ex can influence brain regions associated with emotional regulation and lessen the perception of pain. That's the takeaway from a University of Colorado Boulder study that measured the neurological and behavioral impacts the placebo effect had on a group of recently broken-hearted volunteers.

Pain is a signal of actual or potential damage to the body, so it is natural to think of it as a localised sensation: knee pain in the knee, back pain in the back and so on. However, research has demonstrated that pain is an experience constructed in the brain. A knee doesn't "feel" anything. Instead, it sends signals to the brain. Input from the body is important, but a person's pain experience also depends on the brain's interpretation of ...

  A team of University of Colorado Boulder engineers has developed a scalable manufactured metamaterial—an engineered material with extraordinary properties not found in nature —to act as a kind of air conditioning system for structures. It has the ability to cool objects even under direct sunlight with zero energy and water consumption.

  Researchers from the University of Colorado Boulder and Northwestern University have developed a tiny, soft and wearable acoustic sensor that measures vibrations in the human body, allowing them to monitor human heart health and recognise spoken words.