The course Bio-Inspired Design gives an overview of non-conventional mechanical approaches in nature and shows how this knowledge can lead to more creativity in mechanical design and to better (simpler, smaller, more robust) solutions than with conventional technology. The course discusses a large number of biological organisms with smart constructions, unusual mechanisms or clever sensing and processing methods and presents a number of technical examples and designs of bio-inspired instruments and machines.

Biomechatronics is a contraction of biomechanics and mechatronics. In this course the function and coordination of the human motion apparatus is the central focus, and the design of assistive devices for the support of the function of the motion apparatus.

Have you ever asked what “biobased” means or wondered about the key aspects in developing and commercializing biobased products? This course will answer those questions and more; highlighting the opportunities, hurdles, and driving forces of the bioeconomy.

Today’s industries face enormous global challenges when it comes to the fossil-based economy. Fossil resources are no longer a desirable feedstock for many products and governments’ climate goals put various limitations to its usage. Moreover, consumer perception has become an increasingly important factor. With biobased products as an alternative to the fossil-based economy, the bioeconomy can provide viable solutions to these challenges.

The course describes the different types of biomass, the methods of refinery and typical conversion technologies used for biobased products. You’ll also engage in a study of the practical and real-life examples emerging in the market: biopolymers, bioenergy, bioflavours, and biosurfactants.

The course has been developed by a team of experts from seven different institutions and universities in three different countries, all sharing their personal perspectives on the opportunities and challenges faced by the biobased industry. The three top-ranked institutions Delft University of Technology, RWTH Aachen University, and Wageningen University & Research offer additional, more advanced courses to continue your learning journey:

Industrial Biotechnology: a more advanced course that digs deeper into engineering aspects of bio-based products.
MicroMasters Chemistry and Technology for Sustainability: Help drive the transition from fossil sources to renewable energy ones and engineer a biobased future.
Sustainable Development: The Water-Energy-Food Nexus: Introduction to sustainable development and its relation to the Water-Energy-Food Nexus.

This course presents a design philosophy and a design approach, dedicated to rehabilitation technology. This field was selected because of human-machine interaction is inherent and vital. Illustrative examples will be discussed by their entire design process

Design and construction of breakwaters and closure dams in estuaries and rivers. Functional requirements, determination of boundary conditions, spatial and constructional design and construction aspects of breakwaters and dams consisting of rock, sand and caissons.

The course is concerned with the concept of structural stability. This concept is applied to discrete and continuous basic structural elements (beams, frames, plates and shells). The fundamental concepts are introduced on the basis of the governing differential equations. The course includes the following topics:

*Equations of motion, nonlinear equilibrium equations, stationary potential energy criterion.
*Stability analysis for the basic structural elements.
*Design methods for stability of basic structural elements.

There is no doubt that the quantum computer and the quantum internet have many profound applications, they may change the way we think about information, and they could completely change our daily life.

But how do a quantum computer and a quantum internet work? What scientific principles are behind it? What kind of software and protocols do we need for that? How can we operate a quantum computer and a quantum internet? And which disciplines of science and engineering are needed to develop a fully working system?

In a series of two MOOCs, we will take you through all layers of a quantum computer and a quantum internet. The first course will provide you with the scientific basis by explaining the first layer: the qubits. We will discuss the four types of qubits that QuTech research center at Delft University of Technology focuses on: topological qubits, Spin qubits, Trans qubits and NV Centre qubits. We will teach you the working principles of qubits and, at the same time, the working principles of a computer made of these qubits.

In the upcoming second course, we will introduce the other layers needed to build a quantum computer and a quantum internet, such as the micro-architecture, compilers, quantum error correction, repeaters and quantum algorithms.

These two courses offer you an opportunity to deepen your knowledge by continuing the journey started in our first MOOC, which focused on the applications of a quantum computer and a quantum internet.

Note that these courses offer a full overview of the layers of a quantum computer and a quantum internet, and therefore they will not go into too much detail per layer. For learners seeking to fully understand one specific topic we can recommend other courses authored by QuTech:

There is no doubt that the quantum computer and the quantum internet have many profound applications, they may change the way we think about information, and they could completely change our daily life.

But how do a quantum computer and a quantum internet work? What scientific principles are behind it? What kind of software and protocols do we need for a quantum computer and a quantum internet? Which disciplines of science and engineering are needed to develop these? And how can we operate a fully working system?

In this series of two courses, we take you through all layers of a quantum computer and a quantum internet. In part 1 we explained the first layer: the qubits. We introduced the most promising quantum platforms and discussed how to do quantum operations on the physical qubits. In part 2 we will introduce the other layers needed to build and operate a quantum computer and a quantum internet, such as the quantum classical interface, micro-architecture, compilers, quantum error correction, networks and protocols and quantum algorithms.

These two courses offer you an opportunity to deepen your knowledge by continuing the journey started in our first course, which focused on the applications of a quantum computer and a quantum internet.

Note that these courses offer a full overview of the layers of a quantum computer and a quantum internet, and therefore they will not go into too much detail per layer. For learners seeking to fully understand one specific topic we can recommend other courses authored by QuTech:

In the field of Quantum Internet: Quantum Cryptography
In the field of topological phenomena: Topology in Condensed Matter
This course is authored by experts from the QuTech research center at Delft University of Technology. In the center, scientists and engineers work together to enhance research and development in quantum technology. QuTech Academy’s aim is to inspire, share and disseminate knowledge about the latest developments in quantum technology.

Urban design, inequality and segregation are strongly connected.

Cities around the world, from the Global South to the Global North, are facing a rise in inequality and socio-economic segregation. The wealthy are increasingly concentrating in the most attractive urban areas and poverty is spreading to the suburbs. Rising levels of segregation have major consequences for the social sustainability of cities and leads to unequal life opportunities depending on where in the city you live.

In this course, aimed at a broad range of professionals, from urban planners and architects to geographers, you will learn what the main drivers and indicators of urban inequality and segregation are, using examples from cities from all over the world. You will learn how segregation is measured, how to interpret the results of the analyses of segregation and how to relate these insights to urban design. With this knowledge, you will be able to analyze how these issues may be affecting your local environment.

Additionally, we will present some historical examples of how urban design has played a role shaping spatial inequality and segregation in a selection of case study cities. This will help you to get a better understanding of how urban design can reduce spatial inequality and segregation.

The course is taught by the editors of the new SpringerOpen book “Urban socio-economic segregation and income inequality. A global perspective” and senior experts from the Urban Design section of TU Delft, which is ranked number 2 in the QS World University Rankings in the field of Architecture.

Designing a new business model is one thing, but how do you actually put it into practice? How do you move from your current model to a new business model?

In this business and management course, you will learn how to make a practical action plan to implement your new business model.

You will create a business model roadmap that will include practical activities that take into consideration the possible risks associated with moving to a new business model.

You will also learn about the practical factors that need to be taken into consideration during the transition process, i.e. the competency of your people and your IT, in order to successfully implement a new business model.

Do you want to enhance your business model by creating a clear focus or implement your new business model innovation into your IT?

In this business and management course, we will discuss business model agility and how specific business model metrics will help you focus on the overall goals of our business.

You will also learn about advanced tools to help support the bridge between business model thinking and IT implementation.

The world is changing rapidly and full of uncertainties. The future success of a business model depends on how well it is adapted to changing circumstances. Do you want to become aware of the relevant developments in technology, markets and society? And understand how this affects your business?

This business and management course will teach you how to stress test your business model. You will learn how to identify the relevant trends and uncertainties and how they impact your business model. You will analyse the strong and weak parts of your business model and look for opportunities to make your business model more robust and future proof.

You will learn through real-world examples from well-known companies and interact with fellow entrepreneurs. By the end of this course, you will be able to stress test your own business model to analyse its future success.

Tijdens de cursus Caleidoscoop worden verschillende aspecten belicht waarmee de eerstejaarsstudenten worden voorzien van basisvaardigheden en basiskennis die noodzakelijk zijn voor het succesvol volgen van een studie in de wiskunde.

Summary: Cavitation is the transition of a fluid into vapour due to local reduction of pressure which is generated by high local flow velocities. The transition of a fluid into vapour also occurs during cooking of water by an increase of the local temperature. The term cavitation is generally reserved for conditions in which the temperature of the bulk fluid is not changed. Although cavitation can occur in many situations this course focuses on ship hydrodynamics and ship propellers. The course is divided into five main groups: physics, types and effects of cavitation as well as calculations and test facilities and techniques. Some of these topics are illustrated with the use of videos. (Study goals:) 1. Reproduce the main lines in a selection of the latest developments in the field of propulsion and resistance hydrodynamics, where the current selection of propulsion and resistance topics includes unsteady hydrodynamics of the flow over a foil, cavitation forms, problems and tools for analysis and design, propulsion systems in a service environment and ship drag reduction by air lubrication. 2. Analyse a hydrodynamic problem in the propulsion and resistance area, into well defined sub problems that can be analysed with state of the art knowledge and tools 3. Select the appropriate theory or tool (either numerical or experimental) for an analysis of the identified problem. 4. Reproduce and present to an audience, the main lines in a contemporary publication from the field of Propulsion and Resistance hydrodynamics. 5. Understand, interpret and react to questions from the audience and the lecturer and in doing so, stimulate the scientific debate.

Our global society is not sustainable. We all know about the challenges we’re facing: waste, climate change, resource scarcity, loss of biodiversity. At the same time, we want to sustain our economies and offer opportunities for a growing world population. This course is about providing solutions we really believe in: a Circular Economy.

In this course we explore the Circular Economy: how businesses can create value by reusing and recycling products, how designers can come up with amazingly clever solutions, and how you can contribute to make the Circular Economy happen.

Building construction is one of the most waste producing sectors. In the European Union, construction alone accounts for approximately 30% of the raw material input. In addition, the different life-cycle stages of buildings, from construction to end-of-life, cause a significant environmental impact related to energy consumption, waste generation and direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions.

The Circular Economy model offers guidelines and principles for promoting more sustainable building construction and reducing the impact on our environment. If you are interested in taking your first steps in transitioning to a more sustainable manner of construction, then this course is for you!

In this course you will become familiar with circularity as a systemic, multi-disciplinary approach, concerned with the different scales, from material to product, building, city, and region.

Some aspects of circularity that will be included in this course are maximizing reuse and recycle levels by closing the material loops. You will also learn how the Circular Economy can help to realign business incentives in supply chains, and how consumers can be engaged and contribute to the transition through new business models enabling circular design, reuse, repair, remanufacturing and recycling of building components.

In addition, you will learn how architecture and urban design can be adapted according to the principles of the Circular Economy and ensure that construction is more sustainable. You will also learn from case studies how companies already profitably incorporate this new theory into the design, construction and operation of the built environment.

Around the world, major challenges of our time such as population growth and climate change are being addressed in cities. Here, citizens play an important role amidst governments, companies, NGOs and researchers in creating social, technological and political innovations for achieving sustainability.

Citizens can be co-creators of sustainable cities when they engage in city politics or in the design of the urban environment and its technologies and infrastructure. In addition, citizens influence and are influenced by the technologies and systems that they use every day. Sustainability is thus a result of the interplay between technology, policy and people’s daily lives. Understanding this interplay is essential for creating sustainable cities. In this MOOC, we zoom in on Amsterdam, Beijing, Ho Chi Minh City, Nairobi, Kampala and Suzhou as living labs for exploring the dynamics of co-creation for sustainable cities worldwide. We will address topics such as participative democracy and legitimacy, ICTs and big data, infrastructure and technology, and SMART technologies in daily life.

Based on working on exercises on project decision making and planning, the specific context of working abroad in general and in developing countries in particular is illustrated, with regard to socio-cultural aspects, planning and financing of projects, roles of (consulting) engineers and contractors, local materials, techniques and knowledge and environmental issues.

In this course you will learn how to ensure good indoor thermal comfort and air quality, and how these factors relate to building design and to buildings’ energy systems. Comfort complaints mean user dissatisfaction, which in turn means delays and resistance to accept technologies needed for low carbon emission buildings. So if you want to discover what to pay attention to in your energy designs, or in designing new concepts for sustainable buildings, this course is for you.

In order to be effective, leaders need a high tolerance of complexity. Beyond this, they need to inform their people and the outside world of their strategies, policies and decisions. Effective leaders are often inspiring communicators – their own high tolerance of complexity helps them reduce this complexity to a concise and powerful message.

Your sensemaking mindset is therefore of critical importance to motivate others to follow and support you. Your ability to inspire and convince is largely dependent on the way you frame your message, and on your skills at playing the game of framing and reframing. You will learn from a large variety of (video) cases and analyse a large number of situations where leaders’ communication and sensemaking skills are tested and probed. This will ensure that you are equipped to build winning coalitions in your own organization.