A more accurate prediction of near-collisions between satellites with the DelftBlue supercomputer

Even though extremely low, the air resistance at altitude of 600 km does affect the accuracy with which (near-)collisions between satellites can be predicted. Aiming to improve these predictions, Rens van der Zwaard used the DelftBlue supercomputer to determine mission parameters for an experiment involving two nearly identical satellites.

reading time: min

When having your head in the clouds is good science

Geet George crossed the Atlantic, making his way through tropical rain clouds as he went. Hoping to witness their formation, he analysed the data collected by the drones he sent up into kilometres-thick layers of cloud. “It is still important to be in the field and experience the processes we have been trying to simulate on our computers for years.”

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reading time: 7 min

Knit to find the perfect fit

The bearing structure of a building made out of knitted material? Assistant Professor of Parametric Structural Design and Digital Fabrication shows that unusual building structures can be created more efficiently and more sustainably using 3D knitted textiles. She hopes her innovative approach will inspire new generations of designers and engineers to think outside the box.

leestijd: 7 min

An All-In Approach to Electrical Engineering

Learning makes İlke Ercan feel alive. That is why she studied physics: it was the most challenging topic for her. Now a researcher specialised in nanocomputing and an accomplished educator herself, she is helping bachelor students to make informed decisions about their future.

leestijd: 7 min

Lunar Zebro: students take aim at the Moon

Once you arrive at the world's largest space fair, the IAC, you first walk straight by Ariane's rocket and then turn left at ESA's booth. When you have passed three satellites you will see about 10 red vests under the orange booth of the Netherlands: that is the TU Delft student team Lunar Zebro. A team of student and professors that may soon go to the moon with their autonomous rover Leika.

reading time: 10 min

Balancing water, food and energy to drive sustainable development

Water, for drinking, sanitation, irrigation and clean energy, plays a crucial role in the transition to a more sustainable world. In the EPIC Africa project, assistant professor in Water & Control Edo Abraham explores how data collection, mathematical models and a closer cooperation between countries and sectors can improve water management and the planning of energy systems. The aim is to achieve an optimal and fairer utilisation of increasingly scarce water and land in parts of Sub-Saharan Africa.

reading time: 8 min

Will those cracked walls hold up? Is it safe to walk on that quay? To find the answer to these questions assistant professor of Applied Mechanics Rita Esposito studies brick masonry, often using actual pieces of damaged houses and centuries-old bridges.

Thick as a brick? How small cracks can cause big problems

Will those cracked walls hold up? Is it safe to walk on that quay? To find the answer to these questions assistant professor of Applied Mechanics Rita Esposito studies brick masonry, often using actual pieces of damaged houses and centuries-old bridges.

leestijd: 7 min

When Open Source and Open Science go hand-in-hand

With over 200 million projects, Github is the communal storage space of the open source world – and in a sense, the foundation of our digital society. The hosting service for software development and version control is involved in countless pieces of software we use daily. With so many software projects, and so many active developers, GitHub is a gold mine for researchers wanting to understand the open source software world. But getting good information has always been hard. That changed when Georgios Gousios developed GHTorrent, a dataset that opens a window into the inner workings of Github.

reading time: 2 min

From sheep’s wool to spatial fabric

Disposable clothing made in low-wage countries is anything but sustainable. Yet it is this fast fashion that dominates our shopping streets. Jin-Ah Duijghuisen is committed to influencing this consumer culture for the better by means of spatial design. She put the textile production chain under the magnifying glass. For her master thesis, she explored how textile production in the Province of Noord-Brabant is related to the configuration and use of the landscape.

reading time: 3 min

Urban food production on the right track

"Everything revolves around food.” When Adrianna Karnaszewska was asked to zoom in on metropolitan London she saw an opportunity to utilise leftover spaces near railways by transforming them into ‘foodscapes’. She created a network of multifunctional hubs and productive sites that constitute an urban food supply chain bringing the production of food close to home.

reading time: 2, 5 min

Urban transformation as an act of preservation

‘Gleaning’, which means ‘collecting leftovers from the fields after harvest’ was the central theme of last year’s Urban Architecture graduation studio. As a design approach to the redevelopment of post-industrial areas it inspired Alex Kirschstein to imagine and plan an elaborate transformation of part of a former industrial site in the city of Maastricht, reusing material stock on site and enabling citizen empowerment.

reading time: 2, 5 min

How to redesign insulated glass units for disassembly

Insulated double and triple glazing have enabled the design and construction of fully glazed facades with minimised thermal losses. The insulated glass units (IGUs), however, still serve as products with a limited lifespan, often ending up as demolition waste. In her Building Technology master thesis Sofia Kouvela designs for disassembly as a means to improve the end-of-life of IGUs, increasing the potential for reuse and recycling of glass.

reading time: 6 min

Medical experts and engineers speak each other’s language in Delft

An outpatients’ centre for cancer patients is certainly not the first thing you would expect to encounter on TU Delft campus. ‘But the decision to choose Delft as the location for the Holland Proton Therapy Centre has actually proved to be a very smart move’, says Medical Director Prof. Marco van Vulpen.

reading time: 5 min

Revolutionary simulation model prevents disasters in space

Over six million kilogrammes of space debris are circling around the Earth at tremendous speed and is posing a danger to the functioning of satellites and thus to things like our data traffic. Mireia Leon Dasi designed a revolutionary simulation model to very precisely predict, and hence prevent, crashes of space debris. This earned her the title of Best Graduate 2022 at the Faculty Aerospace Engineering. Using the NWO subsidy granted to her start-up, she is now further developing her idea for use in practice.

reading time: 5 min

The architect as a social connector

Jacopo Zani, who graduated from the Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment in March 2022 with a master’s in Architecture, Urbanism and Building Sciences, came up with a unique vision on the redevelopment of the dilapidated mining town of Waterschei in the Belgian municipality of Genk. His vision revolves around social cohesion and space for nature, and it gives architects a new role. It earned him the title Best Graduate 2022 of his Faculty.

reading time: 5 min

Out-of-bounds: an outside view of computer memory vulnerabilities

Out-of-bounds writes, you may not have heard of them, but they play an important role in the hacking of programs. From changing account balances in banking software to breaking into critical systems at hospitals, there are many malicious applications. Linus Hafkemeyer developed a tool making it much easier to assess the severity of such vulnerabilities, speeding up the process of fixing them and, ultimately, leading to a more secure digital society.

Students learn to create robots for a better future

What if robots could help relieve pressure on healthcare, or assist the overworked agricultural farmer? If they can actually learn to work together with humans, and thus relieve people? Help people lift heavy things, or help people walk who could no longer do so? Since two years, it has been possible to follow the Robotics Master at TU Delft, where you are trained to become the robot engineer of the future. The first batch of this new master is now graduating. "Robotics is simply the future!"

reading time: 10 min

Putting public transport on the right track

For as long as public transport has existed, Dutch people have complained about it. There are leaves on the tracks, trains are overcrowded or buses show up late. Yet our public transport is well organised in many areas, according to researcher Niels van Oort. Especially when observed from an international perspective. But there is plenty of room for improvement. For example with regard to inclusiveness, communication, reliability, and the integration of public transport with bicycle use and shared mobility. In his Smart Public Transport Lab, Van Oort works with partners from the public transport sector on solutions for a public transport system that is optimised for travellers and society.

reading time: 5 min

Even better operations with LED photoacoustic imaging

Technology is helping the medical world progress and it is an important motivating factor for Saskia van Heumen, who graduated cum laude at the end of 2021 from the Faculty of 3mE. Her research into using LED photoacoustics in medical imaging brought the medical world a step further. It earned her the title Best Graduate of her Faculty.

Design proposals for safer and more transparent and democratic online interactions.

Finding the best site to build more safely and cheaply

reading time: 4, 5 min

Designing in extremes: sustainable for users, educational for students

Creating a design for a location in extreme conditions is not only challenging, it's also hugely educational. By having students do designs in places that are incredibly hot and dry or where there are frequent hurricanes, lecturer and architect Job Schroën encourages them to think outside the box and explore sustainable solutions. “Giving students freedom and having faith in them is all the motivation they need.”

reading time: 5 min

Sand on the horizon

viewing time: 11 min

How to Print a Dinosaur

A more accurate prediction of near-collisions between satellites with the DelftBlue supercomputer

reading time: min

When having your head in the clouds is good science

Anchoring Power: Ensuring Control and Stability in Offshore Energy Hubs

Energy hub als krachtig concept in de energietransitie

reading time: 8 min

Puzzling over behavioural models for sustainable greenhouse horticulture

reading time: 5 min

Battling the data hunger of Big Tech

reading time: 5 min

Cybersecurity | Story of Team Science | Technische Universiteit Delft

reading time: 4 min

Heating your home with lake water: the 'magic' of aquathermal energy

reading time: min

Protecting vital infrastructure from cyber-attacks with physics-inspired AI

leestijd: 5 min

How do we keep our cities clean and accessible? | TU Delft
Mahnam Saeednia sits on a bench at the train station. Next to her is a package that points a megaphone at her.

reading time: 10 min

Giving freight a voice

reading time: 4 min

Our concrete inheritance: not always desired but definitely important

reading time: 2 min

How to design the train stations of tomorrow

reading time: min

Rethinking transport in cities

reading time: 8 min

Hassle as a limiting factor for using energy when the sun shines

reading time: 10 min

Damping waves with 50,000 rubber grass blades

Solar panels, solar systems, photovoltaics, energy transition

From waves to shadows: Optimizing solar systems by modelling their energy output

Social skills for digital humans

reading time: 3, 5 min

From industrial heat to a social glow(-up)

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Open data is taking off in aviation – thanks to BlueSky
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