think and do

Mar 8, 2017

Paper Pumps Power Portable Microfluidics, Biomedical Devices

Biomedical engineering researchers have developed inexpensive paper pumps that use capillary action to power portable microfluidic devices, opening the door to a range of biomedical tools. 

Feb 6, 2017

Playing (Video) Games With Decision Making

Video games can be pure fun — but they can also help us tackle complex problems. 

Jan 30, 2017

Researchers Develop Wearable, Low-Cost Sensor to Measure Skin Hydration

NC State researchers have developed a wearable, wireless sensor that can monitor a person’s skin hydration for use in applications that need to detect dehydration before it poses a health problem. 

Jan 23, 2017

Fresh Material

In the past eighteen months, no fewer than six startups have sprung from groundbreaking discoveries in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering. Those six companies join more than a dozen other big names founded on the department’s research. 

Dec 21, 2016

Our Extraordinary Year

2016 was an extraordinary year for NC State and the wider Wolfpack. Here are just a few highlights of all that we thought and did. 

Nov 17, 2016

Tech Would Use Drones and Insect Biobots to Map Disaster Areas

NC State researchers have developed a combination of software and hardware that will allow them to use unmanned aerial vehicles and insect cyborgs, or biobots, to map large, unfamiliar areas – such as collapsed buildings after a disaster. 

Nov 2, 2016

NC State Announces $1.6 Billion Capital Campaign

NC State kicks off the public phase of the $1.6 billion Think and Do the Extraordinary capital campaign, the university's most ambitious fund-raising effort to date. 

Oct 10, 2016

‘Sensing Skin’ Detects Cracks, Harmful Chemicals in Structures

Researchers have developed a multi-layered “sensing skin” to detect corrosive or otherwise harmful substances in structures. The skin can also detect cracks and other structural flaws that are invisible to the naked eye. 

Sep 27, 2016

NSF-funded Afterschool Program Powering Up in Durham

Middle school students in Durham will have time to explore electrical engineering and computer science as part of a 3-year, National Science Foundation project NC State is leading. 

Sep 15, 2016

New Tech Promises to Boost Electric Vehicle Efficiency, Range

NC State researchers have developed a new type of inverter device with greater efficiency in a smaller, lighter package – which should improve the fuel-efficiency and range of hybrid and electric vehicles. 

Sep 14, 2016

Researchers Eye Gaming As Tool for Boosting Computer Science Skills, Diversity in Middle Schools

An interdisciplinary team of researchers is launching an initiative that will use a custom-designed video game to boost computational thinking in middle school science classrooms and foster diversity in the sciences. 

Sep 12, 2016

Lightweight, Wearable Tech Efficiently Converts Body Heat to Electricity

NC State researchers have developed a new design for harvesting body heat and converting it into electricity for use in wearable electronics. The experimental prototypes are lightweight, conform to the shape of the body, and can generate far more electricity than previous lightweight heat harvesting technologies. 

Sep 8, 2016

Simulation Highlights Potential For Low-Cost Security Imaging Device

NC State researchers have used computer models to demonstrate the viability of a low-cost security imaging device that makes use of inexpensive radio components. Functional prototypes are under development and would be orders of magnitude less expensive than existing imaging devices. 

Sep 2, 2016

Nearer Horizons

In 2017, seven more NC State projects will receive support from the Chancellor’s Innovation Fund. The funding will help researchers move innovative discoveries from the lab bench to the marketplace, in areas ranging from the development of new antibiotics to the creation of faster, more accurate medical diagnostic tools. 

Aug 9, 2016

NC State Boosts Efforts to Commercialize Research Discoveries

NC State has announced that seven projects will receive support from its Chancellor’s Innovation Fund, aimed at moving innovative discoveries from the lab bench to the marketplace in areas ranging from the development of new antibiotics to the creation of faster, more accurate medical diagnostic tools.