SolarFoil
SolarFoil increases production yields of horticulture by utilizing the sun’s potential to it’s fullest. Agriculture is continuously under pressure to become more efficient and minimize the negative impact on the environment. Sunlight is at the heart of horticulture, yet plants and microalgae do not utilize all the light offered by the sun as efficiently. UV light is considered harmful, and green light is partially reflected giving plants their green color. SolarFoil develops a transparent layer, a foil, that can optimize the sunlight’s spectrum for crop growth to increase the yields in greenhouses, polytunnels and for algae production.
At the root of our innovative solution lie nanomaterials that can manipulate the sun’s light and output tailored light spectra. This innovative technology was developed at the University of Amsterdam, and is now incorporated into the spin off company SolarFoil B.V.
Explore other Projects:
ImRheo
ImRheo provides a new technique to measure the mechanical properties of soft materials, based on image processing and artificial intelligence. ImRheo’s goal is to develop a cheaper and simpler rheometer, which can be used for applications in food (foams, emulsions, colloids, etc.), cosmetics (gels, creams, foams, etc.), constructions engineering (concrete), petroleum (waxy oil), coating (paints), […]
Optical DOSY
An optical probe that characterizes molecular structure and size We have designed and are currently optimizing an optical liquid sample cell that simultaneously measures the size and IR/UV/Raman spectrum of molecules/particles in solution: Optical Diffusion-Ordered SpectroscopY. In the case of mixed samples, the optical spectra of the different components are cleanly separated by size. This […]
Respira
Breath sensors for pre-symptomatic disease detection We are developing a non-invasive breath sensor for cows, for the early detection of illnesses well before observable symptoms. With automated and continuous monitoring, this would enable timely and precise feed adjustments by farmers to stop sickness progression. The technology is derived from extremely sensitive laser-based techniques enabling the […]