Skylar Tibbits
MIT Design Researcher | Self-Assembly Lab Founder
About
Skylar Tibbits is the founder and codirector of the Self-Assembly Lab at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he serves as an assistant professor of design research in the Department of Architecture. His pioneering work explores how emerging technologies like 4D printing and programmable materials can unlock new possibilities for self-assembling structures and dynamic design. Tibbits' TED talks have captivated audiences with a future-forward vision of design's transformative potential, empowering engineers, architects, and innovators to rethink what's possible.
Talks3
A new way to "grow" islands and coastlines
What if we could harness the ocean's movement to protect coastal communities from rising sea levels? Designer and TED Fellow Skylar Tibbits shows how his lab is creating a dynamic, adaptable system of underwater structures that uses energy from ocean waves to accumulate sand and restore eroding shorelines -- working with the forces of nature to build rather than destroy.
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