NASA and MIT’s Shape-Shifting Wing

Hundreds of identical polyethylene resin components form a new airplane wing developed by NASA and MIT. These shape-shifting pieces can morph during flight to form the most efficient wing for the existing conditions. The entire aircraft is within one lightweight, flexible wing surface. Researchers have already tested one hand-constructed model in the wind tunnel of NASA’s Langley Research Center. Read more about the wing and …

PH5 is Revolutionizing Knitwear With Algorithms

We speak with Mijia Zhang and Wei Lin about transforming an antiquated technique with technology, sustainability and a distinct aesthetic

The last time knitwear experienced seismic change was during the Industrial Revolution. Automation and large-scale machinery increased quantities and overall accessibility of fabric. Since then, there’s been little progress. “It hasn’t developed in decades,” Wei Lin—founder of the womenswear label PH5—says with a sense of frustration. “Well there was Alaïa,” she adds. But, apart from the late “King of Cling,” very few luxury labels can …

Native Instruments Launches NOIRE

Nils Frahm’s custom concert grand piano gets transformed into an inspiring software instrument

Nils Frahm—known for blending traditional and electronic instruments to reach ethereal dimensions—will tell you that no two pianos, even of the same model, sound the same. “Even the best manufacturers struggle to make instruments of the same quality,” he says. “It is a very, very complex physical system and you need a little bit of luck to make an instrument that goes beyond, in terms …