News
Design
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Loughborough artist creates striking giant inflatable sculpture that ‘breathes’
Much like a cuttlefish responding to its background, U-too, the latest sculpture by Loughborough University’s Michael Shaw, changes the closer visitors get to it, reflecting their outline and clothing colours.
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New study to develop smart textiles powered by body movement for remote health monitoring
The global population recently reached 7.8 billion, among which almost 15% suffer from disabilities mainly caused by ageing and chronic diseases.
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Loughborough graduate wins James Dyson Award after designing life-saving device that rapidly stops bleeding from knife wounds
Recent Loughborough University graduate Joseph Bentley has been announced as the 2021 UK national James Dyson Award winner.
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Record nominations for University research and enterprise in LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards
Loughborough University has a record 13 nominations across eight categories in the 2021 LeicestershireLive Innovation Awards, representing pioneering engineering research and dynamic start-ups which have been launched on LUSEP, the University’s science and enterprise park.
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Urgent planning on heat and health needed to face climate change trajectory
An international team of leading experts, including academics from Loughborough University, caution that projections of a hotter future require urgent planning and more investment in research to reduce the risks of heat-related disease and death.
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Student designs smart mobility aid to allow people with dementia to live independently for longer and reduce the strain on the care system
According to Alzheimer’s Research UK, one million people in the UK will have dementia by 2025 and this will increase to two million by 2050.
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Student designs compact lifesaving drone for beach rescue teams after witnessing teenage surfer battle dangerous waves
In 2017, while on holiday with his family in Cornwall, Loughborough University student Dominic Leatherland witnessed a teenager become detached from their bodyboard and pulled out to sea due to rough conditions.
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Former competitive swimmer designs pool navigation aid for visually impaired athletes
Since its invention in the 1980s, the ‘tapping method’ has been used to guide visually impaired swimmers in the pool.
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New AI system predicts building energy rates in less than a second
At a time when the UK is trying to reach net zero by 2050, the timely, accurate calculation of energy efficiency is a vital component of the design process for new and refurbished buildings.
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Vaccine passports: what businesses need to know – and why they should have more say
Imogen, a night club owner from London, hopes that COVID-19 “passports” could help with the return of customers to her venue. But the 42-year-old told us she is not happy about subjecting her customers to additional checks, and has concerns over a lack of clear guidance on their use.
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Loughborough graduands win at New Designers awards
Four students have been awarded accolades at this year’s New Designers. The prestigious awards programme recognises new talent for their innovative creations.
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Student designs life-saving device that rapidly stops bleeding from knife wounds
In the year ending March 2019, 259 people were killed in the UK using a sharp instrument, including knives and broken bottles.
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Breakthrough in 3D scanning means results are 4500% more accurate
Scientists have created a new method for increasing the precision of 3D body scans by 4500%.
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Loughborough students design children’s books tackling tough issues and asking big questions
Three Graphic Design students have created books for children that tackle topics including dementia, the importance of accepting people who are different to us, and why we should be encouraged to think outside the box.
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Loughborough researchers part of £7.3m project that will create the first-ever manufacturing cyber-seed
The first-ever manufacturing ‘cyber seed’ which grows just like a plant and produces innovative designs for products ranging from aircraft parts to medical devices has been conceptualised by researchers – and now it is being brought to life.
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Researchers create innovative products from used plastic water bottles in Rwanda, Kenya and Nigeria
This image shows a fruit picker in Kenya harvesting avocado with a 3D printed tool created from waste plastic water bottles.
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School of Design and Creative Arts launches 2021 Degree Show
Loughborough University’s School of Design and Creative Arts is delighted to announce it will be hosting a physical exhibition showcasing students’ work in the coming days. There will also be a digital exhibition of student work.
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[FEATURE] Meet the maker: Michael Shaw and his inflatable masterpieces
If you walk by The Majestic in Leeds today, not only will you be greeted by the beautiful architecture of the Grade II listed building, you will encounter an 80m-long fluorescent pink and yellow inflatable sculpture that worms its way around the triangular shapes of the well-known city centre building, transforming it into an almost Beetlejuice-equse wonderland.
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Loughborough experts to lead £170k project that will explore how best to design COVID-19 immunity passports
Design experts at Loughborough University are to lead a £170,000 project that will explore how best to design COVID-19 immunity passports.
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Loughborough design student helps develop ventilation hood that has the potential to save lives of COVID-19 patients
A third-year Loughborough University student has helped develop a ventilation product for coronavirus patients in intensive care.
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Stem cell AI: Loughborough part of £3m ‘brain on a chip’ project that aims to revolutionise computing power
Loughborough University scientists have started work on a project that will see human brain stem cells used to power artificial intelligence (AI) devices and bring about a revolution in computing.
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Academics awarded £93k to develop novel board game that aims to improve children’s numeracy skills
Mathematics education research has repeatedly shown that children’s early counting abilities are an essential precursor to wider mathematical learning.
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Loughborough awarded £1m to research alternatives to single-use plastic packaging
Loughborough University has been awarded around £1m to help tackle waste plastic in the UK.
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Electrophone: the Victorian-era gadget that was a precursor to live-streaming
As the battle against COVID-19 continues to rage, the plight of Britain’s theatres, which have suffered catastrophic financial strain thanks to lockdown, continues to rumble through the arts world.
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Postgraduate Degree Show celebrates talent from the School of Design and Creative Arts
Following the success from its undergraduate show earlier in the summer, the School of Design and Creative Arts is delighted to announce that their Postgraduate Taught Digital Showcase is now live.
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Design graduates celebrated as they win awards at New Designers 2020
Two Industrial Design and Technology graduates from Loughborough’s School of Design and Creative Arts have been crowned award winners as part of this year’s New Designers.
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Student designs autonomous way-finding device for visually impaired people unable to home a guide dog
There are more than 253 million visually impaired people worldwide, yet only a small proportion use a guide dog to get around, the remaining majority rely on white canes.
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Prosthetic limbs affect our attitudes to disability – expressive design might change things for the better
Amputation can have a devastating effect on a person’s body image and sense of self. The use of prosthetic limbs may help, but when it comes to their appearance, options are often limited.
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Women clinicians report significant difficulties with coronavirus PPE: “Apparently masks for smaller faces don’t exist!”
A new report which looks at how hospital PPE supplied to protect against the threat of COVID-19 has found that women experience significantly more issues than men.
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New study further supports that age-related hearing loss in patients taking cognitive tests may result in misdiagnoses of dementia
The early and correct diagnosis of a cognitive impairment – such as dementia – is crucial as it allows interventions and treatments that may slow the progression of a patient's symptoms to be quickly put in place.
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Record number of Starpack awards given to Loughborough design students including ‘Best in Show’
Students from the University’s School of Design and Creative Arts have been awarded more than 30 awards for their innovative work submitted as part of an international competition.
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New study reveals water-filled windows could make a huge splash when it comes to saving energy and reducing global carbon emissions
Most everyone knows that heating and cooling buildings is not only expensive, but a massive issue due to the resulting carbon emissions.
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MEET THE MAKER: Student’s spore trap design aims to save UK trees and inspire the next generation of citizen scientists
The United Nations General Assembly declared 2020 as the International Year of Plant Health – an opportunity to raise global awareness on how protecting plant health can benefit the environment and other areas.
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More than £24k invested in design students at Loughborough as they develop concepts for cities of the future
Last week, design students at Loughborough University were awarded more than £24,500 in funding towards their ideas which have the potential to offer solutions to communities of the future.
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Winners of the Arts and Design Degree Show prizes announced
Earlier this week, a number of outstanding students from the School of Design and Creative Arts were recognised for their work as part of an online announcement via School’s social media channels.
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Musical fabric and walls you can play with: Meet the student who wants to use interactive textiles to mimic Japan’s zen atmosphere in your office
Imagine finishing a stressful meeting and nipping off to a quiet corner of the office to stroke the walls and press the table so the serene sounds of a Japanese zen garden play…
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Loughborough University’s Art and Design Degree Shows go digital for the first time
On Tuesday 23 June, the University’s Art and Design Degree Shows will be launched as digital showcases for the very first time.
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FEATURE: Pushing the boundaries of drone engineering to protect marine life from extinction
Commercial drone pilot Melissa Schiele has joined Loughborough University’s Wolfson School of Mechanical, Electrical and Manufacturing Engineering – and she has big plans.
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Loughborough University staff are using their skills and expertise to help with the fight against COVID-19
Staff, students and the wider Loughborough University community have been working hard to help protect and assist those fighting the coronavirus pandemic head-on.
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Lockdown life: Top tips for creating workspaces at home that boost productivity and creativity
For some of us, it has almost been a month since we packed up our desks and set up shop at home as a result of the global health pandemic.
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Coronavirus is a once in a lifetime chance to reshape how we travel
The transport sector has been impacted as much as any by the coronavirus. This isn’t a normal period of disruption, which is usually caused by failures in supply such as road accidents or industrial action. In this case it is the lack of demand that is the problem.
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More caffeine is not the answer for tired lorry drivers – new study shows too much coffee could have negative effects
Lorry drivers who consumed large amounts of coffee and energy drinks reported having crashed more compared to those only drank small quantities of caffeine, according to new research.
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Loughborough academic gives talk on decarbonisation at Royal Academy of Engineering policy plenary
Dr Joanna Boehnert, Lecturer in Design and the Creative Industries, spoke last month at the Royal Academy of Engineering’s National Engineering Policy Centre plenary on socio-political intersections in design contributions to decarbonisation.
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Are self-driving cars safe? Expert on how we will drive in the future
Cars are changing – fast. But are innovations such as autonomous and flying cars a bright new dawn, or just a wild pipe dream? And if they become the future’s way of getting from A to B, can we trust them to take us there safely? Here are five key questions answered by Loughborough University's Professor Andrew Morris, an expert in Human Factors in Transport Safety.
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Video Q&A: We asked an expert panel your questions on the future of transport
What will our cars look like if they become fully autonomous? What’s the likelihood of vehicle-to-grid being successful? Will flying cars be safe? Or will they present new dangers?
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Academics to help design electric vehicle specific to the Indian market in a bid to improve the country’s uptake of clean transport tech
Loughborough University academics have been awarded funding to help with the design and development of a four-wheeled electric vehicle for research, teaching and outreach in India.
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Loughborough’s lifesaving road safety research given royal recognition at the Savoy
Loughborough academics were at The Savoy hotel in London to meet HRH Prince Michael of Kent and collect awards for their pioneering research into road safety.
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SUSTAINABLE HOME: Easy solutions to help reduce plastic and packaging pollution
Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you will have seen headlines here, there and everywhere warning of the dangers of plastic pollution.
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SUSTAINABLE HOME: Combine ethics with aesthetics by joining the circular fashion movement
It’s that time of year again where we have social occasions coming out of our ears.
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SUSTAINABLE HOME: Experts share top tips for being more environmentally friendly this Christmas in new video series
FIVE Loughborough experts are sharing their tips and tricks for making your home more sustainable this Christmas as part of a new video series.
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Student Village crowned the winner of the 2019 Charnwood Design Awards
Loughborough University’s Student Village was announced the overall winner of this year’s Charnwood Design Awards.
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Virgin Media owner announces plans for 1,200 on-street electric vehicle chargers – and Loughborough research will determine where they go
Liberty Global, the owner of Virgin Media, has unveiled plans to help revolutionise on-street electric vehicle (EV) charging – and Loughborough academics will play a crucial role in making the vision a reality.
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Experts examine how technology is being used to improve food manufacturing and outline the next steps for the industry
From using satellites to track asparagus crops, to measuring the lean meat percentage of pork using a high-tech camera, companies across the food manufacturing supply chain are embracing emerging technologies in new and interesting ways.
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How hypothetical designs can help us think through our conversations about euthanasia
Belgian Paralympic athlete Marieke Vervoort revealed two years ago that in 2008, she had been approved to receive euthanasia.
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Techno-fix futures will only accelerate climate chaos – don’t believe the hype
Thanks to the efforts of climate activists, the climate and ecological emergency has never been more prominent.
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Student project which supports harvesting activities on campus shortlisted for Green Gown 2019 Awards
An initiative led by Loughborough academics, the University’s Sustainability team and artist Anne-Marie Culhane – in collaboration with Hiroshima Institute of Technology, Japan – has been announced as a finalist at this year’s Green Gown Awards.
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World-leading scheme defined by Loughborough academics is launched in a bid to revolutionise lorry safety
A world-leading scheme to remove the most dangerous Heavy Goods Vehicles (HGVs) from London’s streets has been launched today – and it was defined and developed by Loughborough researchers.
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Academics part of £39m Ford project that looks to bring the next generation of electrified vehicles to the market faster
Loughborough University is working on a collaborative industry research project to develop digital engineering tools that will help bring the next generation of electrified commercial vehicles to the market much faster.
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Future Transport Campaign: University launches new drive to promote game-changing research and innovations
Loughborough University is celebrating the academics and projects that look to revolutionise vehicles and the way we travel as part of a two-month initiative focussed on the future of transport.