Popular Science Presentations

One of the greatest challenges for humanity is to meet the increasing energy needs of today and the future, without negative climate impact and depletion of the earth's natural resources. The department is therefore conducting extensive research on renewable energy generation. How we, through new technology, would best utilize the renewable energy in the water, from the sun and the wind.

Wave power

One of society's biggest challenges is how to secure the future energy supply in a sustainable and secure way. Ocean waves have the potential to contribute to a significant part of the world's electricity generation.

Uppsala University is a world leader in wave research and has the largest research group in the field.

The group's research facility outside Lysekil on the west coast is one of the few research facilities in the world for full-scale wave power plants in real offshore environments.

Read more about our Lysekil wave power project

Wind power

An increased global electricity demand, together with concerns about declining non-renewable energy sources and climate change, has led society to focus its interest on alternative energy sources. Producing electricity from the wind's energy produces no emissions and consumes no fuel.

At Uppsala University we mainly study vertical shaft wind turbines, where the blades rotate around a vertical axis unlike conventional wind turbines where the blades rotate horizontally.

Read more about our research on vertical axis wind turbines

The rapid development of micro and nanotechnology has meant many applications that make it easier for us; who does not have a "smart-phone" today, which we can hardly be without? But the technology can also be used in other areas such as health. At the department, research is conducted on several health-related projects where the technology is used to improve or create entirely new applications.

Durable joint implants

A risk with hip arthroplasty is that the abrasive particles generated in the joint are collected between the body's bone tissue and the implant itself. These particles can cause inflammation, which over time leads to the bone tissue to be restored and the implant loosens. We develop a durable surface layer of ceramic thin film that limits the problem in several ways. First, the wear itself decreases. Second, the body can break down the few abrasive particles that are formed after all, so that they do not have time to cause inflammation. Third, the thin film prevents metal ions from the implant's main structure from leaking into the body.

Cellulose virus filter

Nanocellulose has about 100 times more surface area per unit weight than ordinary paper. It opens opportunities to develop new materials for medicine and health. Among other things, the cellulose is used for virus filtration by tailoring the distribution of the pore size of a paper filter. Virus particles are about a thousand as thin as a strand of hair which makes them very difficult to remove by filtration. One ambition is to develop a paper filter that filters out viruses "as easily as brewing coffee". The filter is adapted for both medical use and water purification where viruses are a major problem.

Measure the healing process with microwaves

Many children are born today with not fully developed skull. Surgeons can then repair the skull with an implant. Unfortunately, the healing process must be checked at regular intervals to avoid complications, which is quite expensive and complicated today. Researchers at the department have therefore developed a sensor that can continuously measure the healing process with the help of microwaves. The sensor is made of flexible material and is therefore easy to carry. The new sensor makes life much easier for both patient and physician.

Want to learn more about our research on smart technology for better health?

Visit the Division of Solid-State Electronics