Kirigami Structures Pull Water from the Air

Climate change is forcing us to reshape our relationship with water. In some places, shifts in weather patterns cause droughts and in others, floods. Collecting atmospheric water could help us adapt to both severe dry spells and inundating amounts of precipitation by providing a source of freshwater or dehumidifying humid places.

Marc Miskin on National Geographic’s podcast: Episode 5: Unfolding the future of origami

Origami isn’t just child’s play. The math and science behind paper folding can revolutionize how we make all kinds of technologies.

The future is bright for origami, the centuries-old art of paper folding. In recent decades, scientists, engineers, and designers have pushed origami beyond its traditional roots and applied its patterns to fascinating technologies like foldable kayaks and tiny robots that can fit into a pill capsule.

Cell-Sized Robots

The lab of Marc Miskin, Assistant Professor in Electrical and Systems Engineering, is using nanofabrication techniques to create robots that can operate on the same scale as cells and could therefore be used to interact with biology on a cellular level.