RETHINKING DESIGN Exhibition

Step into a new dimension – where “design” becomes an essential element of the scientific process. A visit to ETH Zurich's pavilion will have you RETHINKING DESIGN in an entirely new context. Open during the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting in Davos, 22 - 25 January 2019.

RETHINKING DESIGN
The magenta coloured molecule - part of the design above - was generated by machine intelligence.  / Image: ETH Zurich, Frank Hyde-Antwi, animation Will Crook

Take a 360° Tour

Click on the image to explore the exhibition

ETH Pavilion Tour
Explore the ETH Pavilion on a virtual tour - just click on the picture

Since the dawn of humankind, we have designed our environment to make it our own. Whether we design for practicality or simply the desire to feel joy, science and design have always walked hand in hand. RETHINK DESIGN at the ETH Zurich pavilion, immersing yourself in a sensory experience at the interface between science and design. Touch intelligent materials and walk both virtually and physically amongst the architecture of the future. See how chemists use augmented reality in drug design or listen to the whir of a 4D printed robot take shape and swim. Sniff-out your own video game character capturing elements from the real world. Finally, tempt your palate and expand your tastebuds in Davos’ only gourmet science eatery - the Tastelab restaurant.

STRUCTURAL DESIGN

The Floor is Yours

Functionally Integrated Funicular Floors
Functionally Integrated Funicular Floor System - detail. Image: ETH Zurich, Andrei Jipa

By 2050, the rapid depletion of raw materials will leave the world without enough sand and steel to build in concrete. It’s time to RETHINK the design of buildings. This collaborative research project on functionally integrated floor slabs, demos how historic geometrical designs and new technologies can result in lighter constructions, saving up to 70% in the raw materials. More...
 

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The Floor is Yours

4D DESIGN

4D Design

4D Design swimmer
Image: ETH Zurich, Tian Chen and Jung-Chew Tse

Life, as we know it, exists in 3-dimensional terms - height, length, and breadth. Morphing science into the 4th dimension, “time,” ETH Zurich researchers demonstrate how polymer materials can transform both in form and function. Flat components can fold and change their shape as a function of external influences. More...

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4D Design

DRUG DESIGN

Drug Design with the HoloLens

HoloLens
Image: ETH Zurich

Immerse yourself in the 3D world of the molecule. ETH Zurich researchers, studying Computer-Assisted Drug Design, use Microsoft’s HoloLens to visualize and understand fundamental molecular structures. The tool helps researchers ID potential proteins for active drug development. More...

ROBOT & MOTION DESIGN

Skaterbots

Skaterobots
Image: ETH Zurich, Computational Robotics Lab

Combined with the latest research in computers science, 3D printing opens the door to robots with a wide range of motions and maneuvers. Robots of the future will be 3D printed enabling geometrically complex and highly customizable parts at a minimal cost. Read Stelian Coros' recent Blogpost in the external page WEF Agenda Blog. Design your own robot and program its motion. Download More... (PDF, 144 KB)

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Skaterbot

Meet SAM – The Soft Robotic Hand

SAM - The Hand
Image: ZHdK

In the next decade, we will be able to fabricate a new breed of bioinspired robots with increasingly lifelike characteristics. ETH Zurich’s Computational Robotics Lab presents SAM – a soft anthropomorphic manipulator. The touch of this versatile soft robotic hand is so soft it can handle fragile objects. Download More... (PDF, 144 KB)
 

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SAM - the Soft Robotic Hand

MATERIAL DESIGN

Materials that Shape our Lives

high performance polyethylen fibers
Threads as strong as steel. High performance polyethylene fibers that can anchor a ship. / Image: ETH Zurich

Stone, bronze, and iron – materials that shaped the lives of humankind. ETH Zurich researchers present intelligent, property changing materials on the cutting edge of science. They demo materials that transform CO2 and light into solar fuel, lightweight threads that could replace steel cable, and the future material of computers. More...
 

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Play at the ETH Pavilion with 3D printed silicone components.

DIGITAL FABRICATION DESIGN

Digitally Fabricated House

DFAB House
Image: NEST Unit / DFAB House

Take a virtual walk in the DFAB House – a real-life test bed showing how digital fabrication transforms architecture and construction. ETH architects implement 5 novel digital and robotic processes – an InSitu Fabricator, Mesh Mould, Smart Dynamic Casting, Smart Slab, & Spatial Timber Assembly. DFAB house opens in February 2019. Media kit & external page more...

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DFAB house: spatial timber assemblies

GAME DESIGN

Be a Game Designer

Game Design
Image: ETH Zurich, Game Technology Center

Create, build, and play your own game! ETH Zurich’s Game Technology Center advances state-of-the-art game tech to enhance creativity and learning. Explore the latest game technologies by building your own game or playing “Derailed” a cooperative multiplayer game where your character can travel through endless worlds. Download More... (PDF, 157 KB)

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Derailed is a cooperative multiplayer game by ETH Students by Thomas Wolf, Hendrik Baatz, Valentin Scherer, Thomas Lang, & Lukas Rahmann

TASTE DESIGN

Tastelab Restaurant

TasteLab Café
Image: ETH Zurich, Andreas Eggenberger

Five natural scientists with a passion for cooking revolutionize the way we think about food. The Tastelab melds the latest methods and scientific knowledge to show the close relationship between science and food. Experiment with your taste buds with ETH Spinoff, Tastelab.

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Tastelab
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