Inflatable underground geodesic homes tested by Pneumocell

April 1, 2026  |  Swatches

Inspired by their research on inflatable structures as moon habitats, the team at Pneumocell, Austria, is testing a much more grounded prototype—a subterranean geodesic Earth home called Pneumo Planet.
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Vine-inspired soft robotic gripper

April 1, 2026  |  Swatches

Engineers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Stanford University have created a robotic gripper that can gently pick up various heavy and fragile objects.
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Tropicana Field roof replacement done early

April 1, 2026  |  Swatches

Hurricane Milton recovery for the Tampa Bay Rays was expected to be complete for the start of baseball season, ahead of the club’s Home Opener April 6. The new Tropicana Field roof panel installation was completed early, in late November 2025, as announced by the City of St. Petersburg, Fla. Work …
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Researchers develop cleaner way to make rayon-type fibers

April 1, 2026  |  Swatches

A University of British Columbia (UBC) forestry research team has developed a cleaner, simpler way to produce rayon.
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YKK, Taiyo Kogyo test remote zipper operation

April 1, 2026  |  Swatches

Apparel zipper technology developed a decade ago could one day find its way to assisting installers of structures at heights, which often can present logistical, safety and equipment challenges. At the Consumer Electronics Show in January, zipper company YKK® presented a demonstration of a prototyp…
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Sun-charged battery-free glowing blankets repel mosquitoes

March 20, 2026  |  Industry News, Swatches

A conundrum for smart textiles developers is how to combine conductive materials and power sources with soft, flexible textiles. In the new light-emitting fabrics developed by Florida think tank Global Research and Discovery Group (GRDG) and Ashford Textiles®, there are no power cords, batteries or…
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2026 Marine Fabricators Conference blends education, connection

March 1, 2026  |  Swatches

The 2026 Marine Fabricators Conference, which took place Jan. 8–10 at the Hyatt Regency in Savannah, Ga., combined practical education with deep connection—and camaraderie—among fellow fabricators.
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Materials testing for Artemis spacesuit fabrics

March 1, 2026  |  Swatches

As NASA prepared to return to the moon for the Artemis II fly-by and Artemis III’s landing on the South Pole by 2028, researchers and engineers explored the best textile options for spacesuits and boots for use in long-term missions Artemis IV and V. Fabrics must be able to withstand sharp lunar d…
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