16 September

OLED pixels can be patterned using chipmaking techniques

ETH Zurich researchers developed light-emitting polymers that also act as photoresists, allowing OLED materials to be patterned with chipmaking techniques. Reactive groups on the outside of each molecule cross-link under UV light, while a protective shell shields its light-emitting core from processing chemicals.

The team produced a 300 by 430 micrometre fluorescent test image and, separately, an electrically powered ETH logo measuring 1 by 2.4 millimetres. The fluorescent image is not a display, and a working screen still requires electronics to control individual pixels independently.

Microscopic fluorescent test image, 300 by 430 micrometres; not an electrically driven display. Image: Lo SW et al., Nature 2026 / ETH Zurich

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14 Oct

Bacteria bind 3D-printed sand into building components

ETH Zurich researchers developed a printable mixture of sand, bacteria and natural gels to make architectural elements, including a facade component. After printing, daily mineralisation baths let the bacteria form calcium carbonate crystals that bind the sand together. The material hardens at room temperature over two to five days, without firing it in a kiln. A second method uses a robotic arm to deposit sand, bacteria and mineralising substances in successive layers, demonstrated at the 2025 Venice Architecture Biennale. Neither approach is a ready replacement for structural concrete: load-bearing applications remain distant, and the sprayed material needs further mechanical testing. The reaction also produces environmentally harmful ammonium, so waste treatment must be addressed before claiming a sustainable alternative.

Materials Manufacturing

11 Oct

Robots copy walking styles from motion examples

Disney Research and ETH Zurich demonstrated a locomotion system that takes a movement-style example and a joystick velocity command as separate inputs. A style encoder conditions an autoregressive diffusion model, which generates reference motions for a reinforcement-learning controller to follow. The team demonstrated real-time control and continuous style changes in a simulated humanoid and on a physical robot. The method learns from unstructured motion recordings without explicit style labels and can reproduce styles not seen during training.

Robotics ML RL

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OLED pixels can be patterned using chipmaking techniques

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