Imagine printing off a wristband that charges your smartphone or electric car with cheap supplies from a local hardware store. That's the direction materials research is heading at Brunel University London where scientists have become the first to simply and affordably 3D print a flexible, wearable 'battery'. The technique opens the way for novel designs for super-efficient, wearable power for phones, electric cars, medical implants lik...

Scientists at Brunel University London have engineered an innovative new method to build next-gen freezers capable of reaching temperatures as low as - 180°C by using advanced cryogenically cooled heat pipe technology. Dr Hussam Jouhara, Institute of Energy Futures, Brunel, explained: “At the heart of the new system is the concept that what we needed was to be able to efficiently transfer cold.

Scientists at Brunel University London have perfected the first ever grain refiner master alloy for magnesium-aluminium alloys. A team led by Dr Hari Babu Nadendla from the Brunel Centres for Advanced Solidification Techniques found a patented niobium-based master alloy not only filled the missing gap in grain refiners for magnesium alloys but offered significant advantages over titanium in aluminium-silicon alloys.

Industrial design researchers at Brunel University London have solved two of the major challenges which prevent everyday items of clothing being turned into power sources for smartphones, tablets and other personal tech. Technology to produce supercapacitor thread capable of being made into cloth has been around for some time.

Switching from 'one size fits all' to a personalised approach based on free open source kitchen design software could dramatically slash the annual cost of adapting the homes of elderly patients on their discharge from hospital. Research from occupational therapy and computer science academics from Brunel University London shows that more than half of the costly equipment from shower chairs to grab rails installed in their homes for such patients...

Scientists have developed a system for Parkinson’s sufferers to counter two of the most common and distressing symptoms of the degenerative disease. Scientists at Brunel University London have discovered that many patients are afflicted by Freezing Of Gait (FOG) where suddenly, in mid-stride, the muscles freeze and they are left unable to move forward or they simply fall over.

Research by two of the UK’s leading experts on the social impact of technology shows that slick smartphone payment systems may boomerang on retailers. Dr Mark Perry, Brunel University London, and Professor Sriram Subramanian, the University of Bristol, have been looking at the UK’s largest alternative local currency, the Bristol Pound, which allows mobile payments.

Brunel University London (BUL)’s second scientific expedition to the edge of space - more than 100,000 feet, or three times higher than the cruise altitude of transatlantic passenger jets - can be viewed, via live video streaming, by anyone with a computer or a smartphone. This year, a team of final year MEng engineering students are working on the project, which has been split into two missions.

Ambitious plans by Brunel University to close the gender gap in science, engineering, technology and maths-based careers were boosted on 10th December 2014 by a £5m capital grant from the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE). With the cash, Brunel intends to refurbish its facilities to grow its engineering undergraduate programmes by 5% per year for the next five years, and further increase those taking apprenticeships by sp...

Scientists at Brunel University have confirmed that treating molten metal with ultrasound is a cleaner, greener, more efficient route to producing high quality castings. At 700°C, molten aluminium alloys naturally contain a high percentage of dissolved hydrogen, leaving a highly porous result if unaddressed. The most widely-used method of hydrogen removal, argon rotary degassing, is energy intensive and requires costly components.