Articles tagged with Mechanical Engineering
The devices, made from a combination of stretchy material and dinoflagellate-infused culture solution, trigger light emission through mechanical stress. They can be recharged with sunlight and are maintenance-free, making them suitable for soft robots exploring dark environments.
A new field study reveals a previously unobserved fluid dynamic process that affects the ocean's deep-sea mining operations. Researchers equipped a pre-prototype collector vehicle with instruments to monitor its sediment plume disturbances, finding that the plumes remained relatively low and spread under their own weight.
Researchers at POSTECH have developed a method to engineer organs at scale using bioprinting, overcoming previous limitations of small tissue size and functional complexity. This innovation holds promise for personalized treatment of patients with the potential to create more realistic engineered organs.
A new passive cooling system developed at MIT combines radiative, evaporative, and thermal insulation to provide up to 19 degrees Fahrenheit of cooling from ambient temperature. This technology has the potential to significantly reduce energy consumption and extend food storage in off-grid locations.
Researchers from HKU-CAS have created a new material that can produce dual-color spots inspired by nature, leading to innovative applications in message encryption and storage. The breakthrough was achieved through the self-assembly of nanostructures in a one-pot method, enabling programmable binary color information.
Researchers at the University of Washington have developed a reactor that can completely break down two of the most common forever chemicals, PFOA and PFOS. The reactor uses supercritical water to destroy these recalcitrant molecules, leaving only harmless substances such as carbon dioxide and fluoride salts.
Florida Atlantic University receives a three-year NASA grant to develop experiential learning opportunities for South Florida underserved high school students in the STEM fields. The MAA Experiential Learning Opportunities project aims to increase minority students' participation in STEM programs and professions.
A University of Houston engineer has developed a sprayable ice-shedding material that is 100 times stronger than any others. The new durable coating material controls interfacial fractures and can accelerate crack formation and growth.
Researchers at City University of Hong Kong create lightweight, ultra-tough hybrid carbon microlattices that are 100 times stronger and doubled in ductility compared to original polymers. The new method enables the creation of sophisticated 3D parts with tailored mechanical properties for various applications.
Researchers at Washington University have developed a hydrogel system that preserves biochemistry and mechanical environments of cultured podocyte cells. This allows researchers to identify new ways to control mechanisms used by cells to heal themselves, potentially leading to therapies for currently incurable diseases.
Researchers developed a mathematical model of cilia beating due to mechanical instability caused by the cilium motor protein dynein. This knowledge will aid in understanding and treating cilia-related diseases.
Researchers create textile-based pneumatic computers capable of digital logic, onboard memory, and user interaction. The technology aims to assist people with functional limitations in daily tasks without electricity.
Researchers developed a mathematical model to describe cavitation bubbles in soft porous materials. The model breaks down classic scaling relations and provides new insights into bubble behavior. Potential applications include targeted drug delivery and understanding traumatic brain injuries.
Researchers at the University of Kentucky are developing strategies to decrease antibiotic resistance and combat medical device infections through NSF-funded engineering research. Biofilms can form on implant surfaces, making them difficult to remove and contributing to disease progression.
Researchers at Rice University have developed a pneumatic robotic arm powered by compressed air that can grasp objects and go, using textile-based energy harvesting system. The device is designed for individuals with disabilities and can produce equivalent of 3 watts of power, outperforming other energy harvesting strategies.
Researchers from UMass Amherst have created a tiny sensor that can simultaneously measure electrical and mechanical cellular responses in cardiac tissue. This breakthrough device has the potential to lead-edge applications in cardiac-disease experiments and improve health monitoring for cardiac disease studies.
Researchers at WVU are using robots to analyze potential hazards and provide walkability maps in retail environments, aiming to reduce occupational injuries. The team plans to test the robots after hours in an actual retail space, combining camera data with wheel speed measurements to estimate slip risks.
A team of researchers has created a soft polymer material that can sense, think, and act upon mechanical stress without additional circuits. The material uses reconfigurable circuits to process information and has potential applications in autonomous systems, infrastructure repairs, and bio-hybrid materials.
Engineers use origami to build devices that grow wider as they are pulled apart. Researchers from Princeton and Georgia Tech have developed a general formula analyzing how structures respond to stress, enabling the creation of origami structures with negative Poisson ratios.
MIT engineers create a flexible, semiconducting film that conforms to the skin like electronic Scotch tape, harnessing gallium nitride's piezoelectric properties for sensing and wireless communication. The device wirelessly transmits signals related to pulse, sweat, and UV exposure without chips or batteries.
Researchers from Chung-Ang University have developed a novel device that uses respiration to power sensors in gas masks, allowing for a continuous electrical output. The device, called IVF-TENG, demonstrates potential applications in portable electronics and wireless data transmission.
Bhattacharya's project uses topological abstraction to reduce complexity in robotic systems, enabling more efficient and accurate motion planning. The approach has potential applications in industries such as transportation, manufacturing, and healthcare.
Scientists at Beijing Institute of Technology successfully controlled honeybee steering behavior using unilateral optic lobe electrical stimulation, with an average successful rate of 87% in immobilized status. The study also explored the influence of pulse electrical signal parameters on steering response behaviors.
A research team led by City University of Hong Kong discovered a new mechanism that increases both strength and ductility in high-entropy alloys. The findings provide insights for designing strong yet ductile materials and ceramics.
A novel metaholographic platform has been developed to detect light exposure, addressing concerns about light damage to vaccines and other biomedical substances. The technology can be used in intelligent packaging and labeling to prevent counterfeits and verify authenticity of products.
The new Engineering Research Center for Smart Streetscapes (CS3) will advance the future of smart streetscapes with cutting-edge technologies. The center aims to improve quality of life, enhance social equity, and stimulate economic development through innovative smart city solutions.
Researchers developed a Flashover Prediction Neural Network (FlashNet) model to forecast deadly fire events, beating other AI-based tools with up to 92.1% accuracy across various building floorplans. The model's performance improved when given real-world data, highlighting its potential for saving firefighter lives.
A research team at the University of Oklahoma has developed a new approach to triggering an adaptive immune response. The study presents a method to create molecules that can integrate into cells, cause stress on their membrane, and release signals that recruit immune cells to their location.
Researchers at Ohio State University have developed a more efficient wind sensor for drones, balloons, and autonomous aircraft. The sensor uses smart materials to measure wind speed and direction, improving safety and efficiency in autonomous flight.
A team of MIT engineers and collaborators have devised a way to overcome the foreign body response, forming a thick layer of scar tissue that blocks insulin release. The device is repeatedly inflated and deflated for five minutes every 12 hours, preventing immune cells from accumulating around it.
Researchers from Aarhus University are developing a new approach to turbulence modelling using physics-constrained machine learning to accurately simulate complex turbulent systems. The goal is to reduce computational costs while maintaining accuracy, enabling more efficient designs and predictions in various fields.
Rice University researchers create a technique to make surfaces superhydrophobic by combining sanding with powder materials, resulting in water-repelling properties. The treatment also exhibits excellent anti-icing properties, slowing down freezing and reducing ice adhesion strength.
Rice University mechanical engineers repurpose deceased spiders as small-scale, naturally derived grippers. The spiders can lift more than 130% of their own body weight and perform tasks like sorting or moving objects around. Future research will focus on testing the concept with smaller spiders.
Virginia Tech scientists have developed a novel 3D tissue-engineered model of the glioblastoma tumor microenvironment to learn why tumors return and what treatments will be most effective. The model accounts for cell types, fluid flow, and other aspects of the actual tumor environment, allowing for easy testing of drug therapies.
Researchers from GIST have developed an amphibious artificial vision system with a panoramic field-of-view based on the Fiddler crab's eye structure. The system overcomes limitations of current artificial visions, enabling imaging in both aquatic and terrestrial environments.
University of Washington researchers have created a flexible, wearable thermoelectric device that converts body heat into electricity. The device's stretchable and efficient properties enable seamless integration into wearables and soft robotics.
Researchers developed a new printing technique that applies a 19th-century color photography method to modern holographic materials, producing large-scale images on elastic materials with structural color. The team's results enable the creation of pressure-monitoring bandages, shade-shifting fabrics, or touch-sensing robots.
A University of Washington team created a new tool that can design a 3D-printable passive gripper and calculate the best path to pick up an object. The designed grippers and paths were successful for 20 out of 22 objects tested, with two challenging shapes being the wedge and pyramid shape.
Researchers at Rice University have created a system that uses the physiology of deceased spiders to create small-scale grippers. The spiders' unique hydraulic system allows them to lift and manipulate objects, making them a promising technology for pick-and-place tasks and capturing smaller insects in nature.
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology developed a novel flash memory technology that increases data storage capacity and reliability through artificial defect generation. The new platform can distinguish eight data levels, making it suitable for neuromorphic computing and improving inference accuracy.
A new online tool from NIST offers a solution to regularly check ventilation by measuring indoor carbon dioxide levels. The Quick Indoor CO2 (QICO2) calculator takes into account factors like occupants, outdoor CO2 levels, and building size to provide accurate results.
New research by UMass Amherst professor Jinglei Ping demonstrates the use of graphene for electrokinetic biosample processing and analysis, allowing for faster and more efficient detection of biomolecules. This breakthrough enables the creation of smaller lab-on-a-chip devices with improved time and size efficiencies.
Researchers found that an elephant's folded skin plays a crucial role in its flexible and strong trunk, enabling it to grasp fragile vegetation and rip apart tree trunks. The study suggests that wrapping soft robotics with a skin-like structure could give machines protection and strength while maintaining flexibility.
A team of researchers from Cornell University has developed a deformable pump for soft robots, mimicking the human heart's functionality. The pump uses hydrodynamic and magnetic forces to provide soft robots with a circulatory system, allowing them to store energy and power their movements more efficiently.
A Colorado State University study found that brass instruments produce 191% more aerosols than woodwinds during play. Male performers and louder playing of brass instruments were associated with higher emissions. Bell covers can reduce particle spread, but not achieve N95 level protection.
The new system, S4, offers a high-resolution view of stressed specimens comparable to or better than established technologies like DIC. It also overcomes optical challenges posed by cement in concrete, providing a reliable strain measurement technology.
A team of researchers, led by Virginia Tech, has engineered a glove that mimics the arm of an octopus, capable of securely gripping objects underwater. The Octa-glove uses soft, responsive adhesive materials and embedded electronics to grasp objects without squeezing.
Researchers from ETH Zurich conducted a new experiment to redetermine the gravitational constant G, obtaining a value 2.2% higher than the current official figure. The team used a dynamic measurement method involving resonating beams, allowing for real-time data analysis and minimization of interference.
Researchers at Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology developed a new method to generate nano-sized plasma mist, which could be used in transdermal drug delivery systems. The method is safer than traditional electrostatic spray and has the potential to treat internal organs.
A new biohybrid composite material demonstrates improved elasticity and fracture energy compared to existing zwitterionic materials, making it suitable for regenerative medicine applications. The material's biocompatibility allows it to recruit cells and support tissue regeneration.
A new distributed recycling system using microwave irradiation recovers 97% of manganese oxide and zinc from spent alkaline batteries, outperforming conventional methods. The system's potential to reduce annual energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions in Japan is estimated at 26,500 GJ and 1.54 Gg-CO2 eq, respectively.
Researchers at Indiana University and the University of Tennessee have developed a one-dimensional helium model system, which enables the creation of smaller and faster microchips. The new system is designed to explore the behavior of particles in a confined space, allowing for the study of previously unexplored physics.
A team of researchers has developed a microscopic microphone that can detect sound waves by applying polymer materials to microelectro-mechanical systems. The device offers a wider auditory field than human ears and can be easily attached to the skin with a surprisingly small size, recognizing both loud and low-frequency sounds without...
Researchers have devised a way to deliver carbon monoxide to the body using stable foams that can be delivered to the digestive tract. The foams reduced inflammation of the colon and helped reverse acute liver failure in mice, offering a potential alternative to immunosuppressive treatments.
Researchers at Penn State have created a highly customizable microscale gas sensing device using laser writing and responsive sensor technologies. The device enables the simultaneous detection of multiple gases, including disease indicators and pollutants, in various environments and substrates.
The study used synchrotron radiation X-ray computed tomography (CT) to observe internal nonuniform deformation of a material in several dozens mm. They found that performing deformation evaluations at both macroscale and microscale can provide insights into the vibration damping mechanism of rubber materials.
A new optimization tool can quickly improve performance of various autonomous systems, including walking robots and self-driving vehicles. The tool uses automatic differentiation to identify tweaks that achieve desired outcomes, reducing trial-and-error simulations.
Researchers use machine learning to automatically analyze Reflection High-Energy Electron Diffraction (RHEED) data, enabling faster and more efficient discovery of new materials. The study focused on surface superstructures in thin-film silicon surfaces and identified optimal synthesis conditions using non-negative matrix factorization.
John Kershner, a Lehigh University PhD candidate, has been awarded a Fulbright research grant to continue his work on owl-inspired aero-acoustics in Germany. He will collaborate with researchers at Brandenburg Technical University and the DLR to experimentally test these designs.
Scientists have found that axisymmetric 'spike waves' can exceed previously thought limits on ocean wave height, leading to significant implications for maritime safety. The new research revealed the fundamental mechanisms behind highly directional and crossing waves becoming much larger than others.