Videos

So-called "smart devices" aren't always as smart as you might think. Bram Steenwinckel (imec - Universiteit Gent) fuses artificial intelligence with the knowledge of experts to make them smarter.

"If we would cover the entire surface of Portugal with solar panels , this would generate enough energy to power the entire world. But of course, no Portuguese would ever allow this. But what about using their windows?" Jacopo Sala talks about new generation of solar panels.

"In the early days, a computer was the size of a storage room. But today, this computer wouldn't stand a chance against the smartphone in your pocket" How is this even possible? Well, thanks to the nanotechnology inside your smartphone. In his PhD Balakumar Baskaran zooms in on the nanoscale

New smartphones and laptops with increased memory capacity are released all the time. We've become used to have more storage available at a lower price continuously. Anastassiia Kruv (imec) explains how scientist and engineers are constantly challenged to assure this trend.

Computer scientist Ingmar Dasseville (KU Leuven) tries to ensure that our tax money is spent more efficiently. How? By developing computer languages that our government can use, for example, to develop more efficient and thus cheaper tax software.

Marjolein Deryck (KU Leuven) build bridges between academia and industry. How? By translating the knowledge of experts into customized computer systems, so that companies, but also governments, can make decisions more efficiently.

Jan-Pieter D'Anvers keeps secrets. Your secrets. Think of your bank card code or your e-mails. He develops encryption algorithms to secure electronic communication and transactions.

Do Google Home, Alexa and Siri have a social impact on our behaviour? Can they encourage us to drive more safely or convince us to exercise more often? That is what Pieter Vanpaemel (Vlerick Business School - KU Leuven) researches in his doctorate.

"If we think in circles, we start producing and consuming differently. In his research, Nicholas Vijverman (Vlerick Business School - University of Ghent) studies how we can engage everyone - from government, producer to consumer - in the circular economy. ♻️

"Keep the car running" is not only one of the biggest hits of Canadian rock band the Arcade Fire, it's also the theme of Lynn Verkroost PhD research. This Universiteit Gent-engineer wants to prevent electric cars from stopping completely when the engine breaks down.

When you think of textiles, you probably think of t-shirts, carpets or perhaps even parachutes. But did you know that even parts of the fuselage of an airplane could be made from textiles?