Videos

We've all seen images of spectacular collapses of large structures, such as the Morandi Bridge in Genoa. What if we could prevent the failure of structures such as bridges, dams, and wind turbines by ... listening to these structures? That's exactly what engineer Maximillian Weil (VUB) is working on. Listen to him talk about good vibrations.

"The greenhouse gases we pump into the air throw a thick blanket over the entire planet. By putting these to good use, my work aims to help remove this blanket of carbon dioxide, leading to a cooler future for all of us." Watch Divyansh Khurana (Imec - KU Leuven) explains how he wants to achieve this.

Lasers are not just toys to entertain cats. They can be found in many applications, such as scanners in supermarkets or for facial recognition on your latest smartphone. But there are even more fascinating innovations ahead of us ... if we can build even better lasers. That's what Iakov Goldberg (KU Leuven - Imec) is hoping to achieve. Can you believe that some of these novel perovskite lasers are assembled very similar to how you prepare your breakfast sandwich? 🥪 

In us, humans, curiosity is a driving force for learning. But did you know that AI can also benefit from curiosity, that is, 'artificial curiosity'? Computer scientist Louis Bagot (Imec - UAntwerp) explains how this works and why it is a good idea to tell AI & robots to experiment and have fun. 

Imagine if cars, windows, or even walls would be able to generate power? New, flexible, and ultra-thin perovskite solar cells could make this a reality, but there's a catch. Perovskite solar cells have a limited lifetime as they degrade under light and heat. Imec-researcher Wenya Song is looking to improve the lifespan of perovskite solar cells.

Let it be clear once and for all: tomatoes are technically a fruit, as expert Jakub Salagovic explains. Jakub is dedicating his Ph.D. research to tomatoes. He creates "virtual" tomato plants so that he can find the perfect growing conditions for these fruits, allowing you to enjoy tasty tomatoes all year round.

About half of the elderly people suffer from pain in the shoulders, hips, or knees. They can be helped with artificial implants, but unfortunately, the current implants are not extremely durable, so many patients have to undergo repeated surgery. Cong Hou (KU Leuven) and his colleagues are developing new, more durable implants. Their ultimate goal: one life, one surgery.

Meet Karimi Solomon, a researcher at KU Leuven - FWO. Karimi studies the aroma of apples. Does that mean he sniffs apples all day long? Not exactly. Watch the video to hear Karimi explain why & how he studies the aroma of apples.

In Belgium, we grow a lot of potatoes. Unfortunately, potato plants are very susceptible to diseases. To prevent the spread of diseases, farmers spray their entire potato field with pesticides. Ruben Van De Vijver (ILVO) wants to use drones and artificial intelligence to spray only sick plants. Find out more in the video.

"What if I told you that the way you spend your money, reveals aspects of your mental health, such as anxiety or depression. We can make this connection thanks to Artificial Intelligence." Yanou Ramon (UAntwerp - FWO) explains how to make AI rule(s) in this video, as to offer treatment to people who need it most. 

The corona pandemic suddenly forced teachers to make a shift from offline to online teaching. Keeping students engaged is already challenging in the classroom, let alone in an online context. How can a teacher do well online? Maaike Grammens and her colleagues investigated this by screening over 3,000 scientific articles on online teaching.

Smartphones, laptops, electric cars, ... We simply cannot live without batteries. But did you know that in 5 years' time the demand for batteries is expected to be 15 times higher than today? But instead of producing 15 times more batteries, wouldn't it be better to meet the demand by making more powerful batteries? That is why Ahmed Shafique is working on a new generation of batteries: lithium-sulfur batteries.