Gabriel Ferreira Serra

• Master of Science
• Graduate Research Student at University of Aveiro

Cork composites and shear thickening fluids (STFs) have been investigated for applications from ballistic protection to personal protective equipment. Cork-STF structures have also been developed, mainly based on cork-layered structures interfacially reinforced with STF. The STF interface improves impact mitigation, but usually marginally. This wor...

Micromobility is a topic of growing interest, powered by the introduction of shared electric bicycles and, especially, e-scooters. This type of mobility has recently gained a lot of popularity in large cities, bringing many benefits, such as greener mobility, a connection for first- and last-mile trips, and on-demand transportation alternatives. Ho...

Cork-based composite structures reinforced with shear thickening fluids (STFs) have demonstrated significant potential in impact mitigation due to their unique combination of sustainability and enhanced mechanical properties. These hybrid materials capitalize on the inherent properties of cork in addition to the dynamic response of STFs and have de...

Modern society witnessed a remarkable surge in urban mobility with the proliferation of micro-mobility sharing services. However, this transformation has also led to a worrisome increase in severe accidents and injured users. In addition, conventional helmets are significantly lacking in sustainability. This research investigates the feasibility an...

Due to their extraordinary qualities, including fire resistance, excellent crashworthiness, low thermal conductivity, permeability, non-toxicity, and reduced density, cellular materials have found extensive use in various engineering applications. This study uses a finite element analysis (FEA) to model the dynamic compressive behaviour of agglomer...

The children’s toy market is increasingly dominated by products that rely heavily on visual appeal. This article presents the development of ‘bumpi’, a cork toy specially developed for young children who experience visual impairments or blindness. Research was conducted about these children’s needs and the existing assistive products for them in th...

Designers are continuously searching for materials or meta-structures, also inspired by nature, that exhibit favourable strength-to-weight ratios, substantial heat transfer capabilities, and efficient energy absorption. One particular example includes fractal geometries, which usually consist of intricate three-dimensional geometrical structures an...

Shear thickening fluids (STFs) are a unique type of fluids that can quickly transform into a solid-like state when subjected to forces (rate dependent). These fluids are created by dispersing micro and nanoparticles within a medium. When the force is removed, they return to their original liquid state. Shear thickening fluids can absorb a significa...

Designers have been fascinated by exploring new geometries made by high-performance structures. In more specific terms, biological systems have always been proven to be characterised by sophisticated structures with adapting properties to nature challenges. Insightful analyses have shown how these natural structures are dominated by characteristics...

Cork composites are byproducts from wine stopper production, resulting from the agglomeration of cork granules with a thermoset resin. The resulting compound is a versatile and durable material with numerous industrial applications. Due to its unique properties, such as low-density, high-strength, excellent energy absorption, and good thermal and a...

Cork composites have shown excellent potential in impact mitigating systems. Their sustainability greatly surpasses the currently used solutions. In addition, recent advances in developing cork composites with shear thickening fluids (STFs) have demonstrated exciting results for impact mitigation. This study explores different STF formulations base...

Designers propose using high-performance materials or cellular and bio-inspired structures in components with high strength-to-weight ratios, high heat transfer capacity, and energy absorption. An example is fractal geometries, which show highly complex 3D geometries that are unfeasible using conventional manufacturing processes. The work investiga...

Shear thickening fluids (STF) viscosity significantly increases when subjected to an external dynamic load. Recent advances show their potential for engineering applications, such as developing shock absorbers and impact energy-absorbing structures. There is a search for sustainable materials for several applications due to the critical need to rep...

The past few years have witnessed a remarkable surge in urban mobility with the proliferation of micro-mobility sharing services. The advent of e-scooters and e-bikes has revolutionized the urban landscape across the globe. However, this transformation has also led to a worrisome increase in severe accidents associated with these new modes of trans...

Shear thickening fluids (STF) are a class of fluids whose viscosity significantly rises under external loads. The research on these fluids has been advancing in recent years regarding prospective practical applications, including developing impact-absorbing composites. Following the green agendas governments and legislators advocate, this study inv...

Shear thickening fluids (STF) are a class of fluids whose viscosity increases considerably when subjected to an external load. The study of these fluids has developed significantly in recent years regarding potential applications in engineering like the development of impact energy absorbing composites. Following green agendas pushed by governments...

Cork is a natural material that presents excellent properties for applications concerning impact resistance, and its performance can be further enhanced by combining it with other materials into composites. This study tests several combinations of hybrid composites in layered structures involving cork laminates, different types of polymers such as...

Based on global needs for sustainable development, finding new sustainable materials that can replace oil-based ones for mass products is crucial nowadays. This paper focuses on employing an expanded cork-based composite to produce a surfboard. To evaluate the mechanical properties, uniaxial tensile and compression tests were performed on the skin...

Traffic jams are a burden in urban areas, being time-consuming and contributing to stressful driving and CO2 emissions. To implement the United Nations’ 2030 agenda for sustainable development, governmental strategies aim to accelerate the shift to sustainable and smart mobility. Consequently, e-micromobility (EMM) appeared as a practical solution...

This paper describes the design of ReduCat, an audio-augmented paper drawings tangible user interface (TUI) system intended to support educational intervention for high-functioning children diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The system records audio snippets on standard paper drawings using a tangible user interface that can be shared b...