Growing crops in the desert is no joke
The Plant Growth Core Lab knows it. That's why its mission is to create sustainable farming solutions for Saudi Arabia's farmers. Its studies cover many fields, such as...
Davide Zanon
Science & technology journalist, writer and copywriter.
I turn complex information into engaging and exciting content for humans and search engines.
And I can spice it up with infographics, visualisations, and interactive web content.
Here's how KAUST is making agricultural research smart
KAUST's new smart farm has two sides. From the outside, it looks like a regular crop field. But it's deeper — beneath its surface — that a high-tech grid turns it into a state-of-the-art site for agricultural research...
How to catch the invisible enemy
PFASs are the holy grail of chemistry, but a bane for environmentalists. PhD Matthias Van der Bergh has a way to remove these imperishable chemicals from water.
Recyclers’ challenge to purify plastic infamous reputation
Plastic is recyclable, but at a cost. That's why industries prefer low-price treatments. "We are wasting reusable materials,” says engineer Mathilde Taveau.
SolarParking
Sweco's collaboration with White Lioness technologies and IGG Bouweconomie created SolarParking. This parametric tool lets you add solar panels to your parking lot to cover and power electric cars.
Bowerbird
Bowerbird is a Grasshopper plug-in that prepares your 3D model for laser cutting. Now hosted on Packhunt.io, Bowerbird splits and flattens your 3D model to let you print and re-assemble it into your desired shape.
A simple and smart product configurator (part 2)
Last week, Grzegorz Adamski and Sebastiaan Veldhuisen told us how and why the partnership with White Lioness technologies began. Today, they're here to tell us what they gained from it and about the future steps in this collaboration.
A simple and smart product configurator (part 1)
White Lioness technologies and Walraven pertnered to build a product configurator for Walraven's products line. Grzegorz Adamski and Sebastiaan Veldhuisen from Walraven, joined us to tell you more about this cooperation.
Buildings cost estimation through parametric design
Engineer Djordy van Laar introduces us to the use of parametric design, in cooperation with White Lioness technologies, to better estimate the construction cost of your projects.
Advancing the digital sales of house extensions
For the Aanbouw Expert, house extensions are a cheap method to give new life to your home. Packhunt.io helped them digitising this process through parametric modelling. The result lets you customise the materials, dimensions and quotes of your ideal house extension with a simple click.
A configurator is worth more than 10.000 words.
Weight optimisation analyses are the norm to cut steel structures' costs. For White Lioness technologies, I interviewed engineer Rayaan Ajouz to learn about the present and future of parametric design for steel constructions.
From concrete waste to concrete buildings
Earth’s primary resources are finite. Human inventiveness, however, isn’t. At TU Delft’s laboratories, Francesco Di Maio is working on the recycling of concrete waste. Just like the Phoenix, the mythological bird that rises from its own ashes, Di Maio wants new concrete buildings to arise from their predecessors waste.
What Artificial Intelligence (AI) means to your privacy
The Google Home scandal is a recent example of AI playing dirty. TU Delft experts share their take on our responsibilities with sensitive data and AI development.
[Column] The power of silence
Science editor Davide Zanon shares his experience of what comes next after graduating from TU Delft and the challenge of finding meaning in our fast-paced society.
An Atlas to co-create cities
“Fast, cheap or good. Pick two.” Over the past decades, developing countries’ governments preferred the fast-and-cheap formula for affordable housing. To reverse this trend, Assistant Professor Nelson Mota and PhD candidate Brook Teklehaimanot survey habits and dwellings to co-design spaces with people.
The fall preventer e-bike
The TU Delft Bicycle dynamics lab has prototyped a steer-assist electric bike to make riding fall-proof. “Our priority is people’s safety,” says Professor Arend Schwab.
The concrete listener
Dutch Concrete bridges are getting old and wrinkly. For this reason, Assistant Professor Yuguang Yang started studying how to detect cracks in concrete with sound. Its revolutionary measurement technology can lower maintenance costs and better regulate transport.
Roots for riverbanks
The Netherlands has an indissoluble relationship with water. Nowadays, 2400 km of waterways flowing through its veins use timber retaining walls along their banks. A more eco-friendly solution than brick or concrete but, still, not as sustainable as it could be. PhD candidate Abhijith Kamath is researching how to use tree roots to strengthen waterways’ banks to make Dutch channels greener in every way.
Arising from Notre-Dame’s fire: experts’ opinions
“The Notre-Dame can be rebuilt and open a new chapter for co-creation for European society,” said TU Delft Professor Uta Pottgiesser and Assistant Professor Frank Koopman.
Summoning heat from below
Heating our homes is warming up the Earth too. Associate Professor Phil Vardon and PhD candidate Ivaylo Pantev want to warm or cool buildings through their pile foundations, by using the natural temperature of the soil. If done well, this technology can help residents to save energy, money and problems for generations to come.
