Videos

One in 100 people suffer from a chronic heart condition. For example, their heart beats too fast even at rest, leaving these patients completely exhausted. Fortunately, surgery can help, but the procedure is risky and can lead to damage to the heart. To eliminate this risk, Rani Kronenberger (VUB) and her colleagues turn to 3D printing ...

Your next job or loan application might well be assessed by AI. But what if this AI is biased, and wrongly reasons that women are not fit for the job or singles should not get a loan? Carmen Mazijn (VUB) created a technique to detect discriminatory AI models.

Imagine a world where planes aren't just checked, but they can actually tell us how they're doing! VUB researcher Zoé Jardon wants to turn this dream into reality by developing smart metal parts. Such smart components can tell by themselves if they are in good condition or not, and inform us about a problem and where it is occurring.

Thanks to advanced proton therapy, doctors can precisely start irradiating brain tumours. Unfortunately, they do not yet dare to use this technique on tumours in the belly. Why? Because it's a bit like playing darts with a blindfold, while you have to hit a moving target, as Sophie Heymans explains in this video. She tells you about the technique she is working on to help doctors face this challenge.

The year is 2040. A drone just landed on your doorstep, delivering your favorite pizza, which you just ordered a few minutes ago. 🍕 😋 What a time to be alive right?! To make this scenario a reality, Adnan Albaba (Imec - VUB) is working on radar technology to make self-navigating drones.

Have you ever wondered how pills are made? A powder flows through a production line, falls into a hole, and gets compressed into a pill. Easy, right? And yet a lot can go wrong, as chemical engineer Margot Coppens explains. That's why she uses computer models to virtually test the powder mixtures and anticipate possible production problems.

Making fries is something we Belgians are already very good at. But we can do even better, says Wout Vierbergen (ILVO - KU Leuven). He uses technology (Hyperspectral cameras! AI !) to detect black spots under the skin of a potato. In this way, he wants to help producers detect blistered potatoes so that they are left with only the finest ones to make our fries.

In the last decade, wildfires peaked at record numbers in different countries across the world. These fires destroy houses and burn down forests, but they also have other important 'unseen' effects. "Smoke from wildfires leads to high air pollution, which is associated with short and long-term risks, such as respiratory and cardiac diseases", as Leonidas Leiva explains. He's working on new materials to recognize, capture and neutralize these contaminants.

Did you know that we can build bridges out of concrete with a 3D printer? Yet, this promising technology still faces challenges before it can reach its full potential and be widely used in construction. VUB researcher Yanjuan Chen explains what these challenges are and how she's working to help overcome them.

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.

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.