The human brain has the remarkable ability to flexibly generalize knowledge from specific learning experiences to new situations. However, the mechanisms underlying such generalization processes are still not fully understood. This project aims at characterizing the cognitive and neural representations that underlie successful generalization processes and to identify factors that influence them (e.g., sleep). As such, we hope to gain a better understanding of how we make sense of the continuously changing world around us.

Elastocaloric cooling utilizes stress-induced crystallographic phase transformation which releases or absorbs latent heat upon stress loading or removal. It is a promising next-generation solid-state cooling due to its high caloric effect. However, one of the disadvantages is the huge electric actuator required. This project aims to integrate actuators driven by low-grade heat to reach the goal of reducing driver-to-refrigerant mass ratio and zero electricity input.