Engineering News

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AI in Energy Week 2026 brought together 131 energy leaders to explore scaling AI from pilots to operations.

In a recent study, researchers in materials science at Tampere University challenged conventional composite filler shapes by introducing a different approach in which each particle's 3D geometry is designed first, then printed to specification. The research enables decisions to be made on the shape of the filler, not only its material. This approach using architected fillers could pave the way for new solutions in soft robotics, biomedical materials with tailored stiffness and printed scaffolds for tissue engineering.

Topology optimization is a computer design method that can help engineers design beams using reduced amounts of concrete and steel. But those intricate shapes produced from the tool are often too complex or expensive to pour into conventional rigid molds. The few that have been built have mostly relied on specialized equipment, such as concrete 3D printers or machine-carved molds, equipment that is out of reach in regions where new construction is expected to grow.