Energy

A Springer Nature Research Communities article describes a plant-inspired adaptive façade using hygromorphic, biobased 4D-printed materials that change shape in response to weather.

Researchers built modular “SGbots” that communicate locally and collectively adjust their shape—blooming or retracting—to regulate sunlight in real-world window tests.

Bees navigate their surroundings with astonishing precision. Their brains are now inspiring the design of tiny, low-power chips that could one day guide miniature robots and sensors.

From commercial HVAC to coordinated “swarm intelligence” Encycle is an energy-technology company with origins in Toronto, developing software that helps buildings use less energy and respond more flexibly to the power grid.