Purdue University engineers and entomologists are making some sweet discoveries about how honeybees build and structure their honeycombs, which could lead to new fabrication techniques taken from the buzzing builders. Purdue’s Ransburg Professor of Materials Engineering Nikhilesh Chawla is one of the first to utilize 4D imaging to delve further into the complexities of the honeycomb. The imaging allows a time-lapse view of the bees’ work without cutting into their home. The innovative view of the bees’ construction found techniques that could eventually translate into new concepts for structural materials or additive manufacturing for the construction industry. Chawla said some … Read more