A liquid crystal based contact lens display using PEDOT: PSS and obliquely evaporated SiO2

An active spherically conformed liquid crystal cell is presented comprising PEDOT:PSS as a transparent conductive layer and obliquely evaporated SiO2 as an alignment layer. To tackle compatibility issues with the SU8 processing needed for the spacers, an additional buffer layer was included in the fabrication process. The electro-optic response is inspected closely and a contrast measurement is given

The Petrov type of the five-dimensional Myers-Perry metric

We point out that the Myers-Perry metric in five dimensions is algebraically special. It has Petrov type \underline{22}, which is the Petrov type of the five-dimensional Schwarzschild metric.Comment: 4 pages, 1 figur

A biocompatible active artificial iris

A contact lens mimicking an artificial iris is presented as solution for people suffering from iris deficiencies. As this is a biomedical device, biocompatibility is a key specification for material choice and design. The presented research focusses on oxygen permeability of the lens, as the eye depends on oxygen from the environment for functioning

A contact lens with built-in display: science fiction or not?

Recent progress in microsystems integration technology such as ultra-thin chip packaging, stretchable interconnections, thin-film batteries and organic photovoltaics makes it feasible to incorporate various electronic components and transducers in extremely confined spaces and inside flexible or conformable objects. Can this ultimately lead to a genuine display in a contact lens? The major outstanding issues are reviewed

Development of a management tool for the equal evaluation of economic, social and ecological effects of adaptation scenarios for attenuating the effects of climate change induced flooding

Climate change is expected to influence river flooding which may have important implications for socio-economic and ecological systems. Changed flood risks require a proper policy. Water managers need to develop and select those adaptation scenarios that maximise welfare. Doing so requires addressing various challenges; integrating climate change effects in flood modelling, development of assessment methods for flood risk to social and ecological systems, development of methodologies for the assessment of non-flood related impacts from adaptation scenarios and, finally, integrating all effects, both positive and negative, related to an adaptation scenario in a comprehensive decision framework. The ADAPT project, which is financed by the Belgian Science Policy (BELSPO), aims to tackle these challenges by the development of a practical methodology, for assisting decision making about adaptation scenarios for attenuating the effects of climate change induced flooding, that builds on the integrated evaluation of economic, social as well as ecological effects. The study builds on two case studies, located in the two major Belgian river basins, for both the development and the illustration of the methodology.status: publishe