Articles tagged with Mechanical Engineering
Professor Paul Motzki is developing ultra-flat, compact, and lightweight cooling units using shape memory alloys and dielectric elastomer actuators. He aims to create climate-friendly and energy-efficient alternative to conventional systems.
The Copeland oil-free centrifugal compressor with Aero-lift bearing technology has been recognized as one of the most significant innovations of 2025 by R&D World Magazine. This frictionless, oil-free compressor delivers improvements in full-load efficiency and is compatible with lower global warming potential refrigerants.
A new study links the size of male proboscis monkeys' noses to their unique vocal characteristics, suggesting a significant impact on individual identity. The findings shed light on the complex interplay between anatomy, acoustics, and social behavior in animals, with potential implications for human communication.
The students' machine can process multiple metals simultaneously, reducing waste and increasing productivity. It features a rotating platform that enables high-speed printing, significantly reducing manufacturing time for cylindrical components by more than two thirds.
Researchers have discovered that soft gels and lotions retain residual stress from the mixing process, affecting their behavior over time. The study reveals that common products like hair gel and shaving cream hold onto these stresses for longer periods than previously assumed.
A flexible skin-mounted haptic interface can replicate diverse motions using a single actuator, providing rich tactile feedback and versatility. The technology aims to assist humans in various applications, including wearable human-machine interfaces and medical operations.
Researchers developed a hybrid kiri-origami structure to overcome the trade-off between flexibility and function in stretchable electronics. The design features a mutual orthogonal cutting line pattern, allowing simultaneous mounting of rigid components and stretching.
Researchers developed novel artificial bone scaffolds with high deformation recovery capabilities, exceeding those of natural bone and conventional metallic scaffolds. These scaffolds allow for flexible adjustments of properties like strength and modulus to meet specific implantation site requirements.
Researchers achieved a significant reduction in aerodynamic drag by optimizing multiple train components, including nose shape and pantograph design. The study found that simultaneously enhancing these components can deliver notable improvements and even certain bogie fairing configurations might offer advantages over traditional designs.
Vasile's research aims to map and model an agent's capabilities, particularly in motion, manipulation, and perception, to reliably predict their behavior. The goal is to use this understanding to plan effectively for large teams of agents.
A team of researchers has developed a way to harness the swimming abilities of moon jellyfish, enabling them to steer the animals toward remote ocean areas. The cyborg jellies have the potential to aid in deep-sea research and provide inspiration for next-gen underwater vehicles with improved energy efficiency.
A wearable robot has been upgraded to provide personalized assistance to ALS and stroke patients. The device uses machine learning and a physics-based model to adapt to an individual user's movements, offering more nuanced help with daily tasks.
Researchers have developed a micrometeoroid and orbital debris (MMOD) detection and characterization system for satellites and spacecraft. The system can detect impact details, including particle size and volume, and alert spacecraft of potential hits.
HIT researchers created multi-material, multi-responsive, multi-shape shape memory polymer (SMP) gradient metamaterials with tunable properties. These smart materials can adapt to different tasks without extra tools or infrastructure, enabling applications such as secure information storage and soft robotic systems.
The book provides a roadmap for sustainable and ethical leadership in engineering management, focusing on ESG reporting, CSR integration, and industry-specific insights. It offers practical tools and strategies for professionals to make informed decisions that reduce ecological impact and improve resource efficiency.
Researchers have developed a new approach to relieving arthritic knee pain through gait retraining, which involves adjusting the angle of a person's foot while walking. The study found that participants experienced pain relief equivalent to medication and showed less knee cartilage degradation over a year.
Researchers at University of Pennsylvania discover red blood cells contribute to clot contraction, shrinking and stabilizing blood clots. The finding opens door to new strategies for studying and treating clotting disorders, such as excessive bleeding or dangerous clots like those seen in strokes.
Developed by a research team at POSTECH, the robot uses human muscle proteins as inspiration to generate strong force while navigating through tight spaces. The technology has potential applications in various fields, including medical settings, industrial environments, home cleaning, and caregiving robots.
Researchers developed a hybrid approach combining molecular dynamics simulations and Helfrich theory to evaluate bending rigidities of graphene nanosheets with lattice defects. The study reveals insights for designing novel materials with tailored mechanical properties.
Researchers have developed a mechanical adhesive device that can attach to soft surfaces underwater, inspired by the hitchhiking sucker fish. The device uses pressure-based suction and has enhanced adhesion capabilities, making it suitable for delivering drugs in the GI tract or monitoring aquatic environments.
Scientists create a new class of mechanochromic mechanophores that can detect and respond to mechanical stress in polymeric materials through fluorescence. The developed molecule exhibits excellent stress-sensing with high durability, offering a powerful tool for real-time monitoring of mechanical damage.
Dr. Sidney Chocron has been named a Ballistic Science Fellow by the International Ballistics Society due to his significant contributions to ballistics science. He specializes in nonlinear response of materials under high strain rates and has made notable advancements in characterizing terminal ballistics and thermal protection systems.
Researchers at Carnegie Mellon University developed a low-cost, long-lasting indoor formaldehyde sensor with a unique polymer coating. The coating extends the sensor's half-life by 200% and enables it to regenerate when performance degrades.
Researchers developed a theoretical model that accurately describes the relationship between mechanical stress and chemical reactions, resolving discrepancies in previous studies. The new model helps predict mechanochemical reactions, promising for greener manufacturing and lubricant design.
Researchers propose sparse-view irradiation processing VAM (SVIP-VAM) to reduce projection data and computation time. The method enables structure manufacturing with a reduced number of projections, increasing the feasibility of sparse-view printing.
Researchers develop predictive framework that connects silicone curing conditions with adhesion strength, enabling dramatic improvements in performance for molded and 3D-printed elastomer components. The 'reaction coordinate' metric allows precise tracking of the degree of curing, even under variable thermal conditions.
Researchers at Texas A&M University have developed a new type of adhesive that could improve the comfort and safety of wearable medical devices. The adhesive, made from polyelectrolyte-complex coatings, is water-based and has been shown to match the strength of commercial-grade adhesives while reducing skin irritation.
The study successfully demonstrated impedance tuning of a 250 GHz waveguide transition, validating the effectiveness of mechanical tuning as a method to compensate for fabrication-induced performance variation. Terahertz frequencies above 100 GHz offer extremely wide bandwidths suitable for next-generation wireless communications.
Researchers at SwRI create a custom test rig to study how blending hydrogen into liquid natural gas affects storage tank temperatures and steel material integrity. The goal is to determine if tanks can endure lower temperatures without compromising safety.
Researchers developed an AI system that enables a four-legged robot to adapt its gait to different terrain, just like animals. The robot learned to switch gaits on the fly and navigate uneven surfaces without any alterations to the system itself, overcoming previous limitations around adaptability.
A new laser machining method enables high-precision patterned laser micro-grooving with root mean square errors below 0.5 μm. This technique allows for rapid and scalable manufacturing of custom microstructures, advancing applications in microfluidic devices, sensors, and heat dissipation systems.
A University of Houston engineer has developed a method to create strong and eco-friendly materials from bacterial cellulose, which could replace plastic in various industries. The new material has high tensile strength flexibility, foldability, optical transparency, and long-term mechanical stability.
Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) is expanding its heat exchanger testing capabilities to include megawatt-scale performance evaluations. This move addresses a significant market gap for high-heat transfer rates involving high-temperature and -flowrate applications in data centers, defense, and other fields.
A team of researchers has developed a heat sink system using a wax-based phase change material to efficiently cool electronics in space. The system has shown promising results in its first satellite experiments, with the melting wax significantly increasing the time that electronics can operate within a safe temperature range.
Researchers at Pohang University of Science and Technology developed a novel dry adhesive technology using shape memory polymers, allowing for precise micro-LED chip transfer with minimal residue. The technology offers significant advantages over conventional methods, including high adhesion strength and easy release.
Researchers used foam-entrapped supercritical CO2 to prevent stored carbon from moving back to the surface. The approach shows promise for enhancing oil recovery and reducing CO2 migration.
Researchers found that intercellular flow plays a major role in tissue response to deformation, affecting organs' adaptability to conditions like aging and cancer. The study's findings could inform the design of artificial tissues and organs.
Researchers have developed a technique to observe phonon dynamics in nanoparticle self-assemblies, enabling the creation of reconfigurable metamaterials with desired mechanical properties. This advance has wide-ranging applications in fields such as robotics, mechanical engineering, and information technology.
International Journal of Extreme Manufacturing (IJEM) achieves a new Impact Factor of 21.3, surpassing 20 for the first time and maintaining its position as top journal in the field. IJEM has attracted submissions from 853 institutions in 81 countries.
Researchers have developed a new method to physically restore original paintings using digitally constructed films that can be removed if desired. The process uses a polymer film mask printed on a very thin film and aligned to an original painting, which takes around 3.5 hours from start to finish.
Researchers at MIT developed a machine learning-based adaptive control algorithm that enables autonomous drones to adapt to unknown disturbances like gusting winds. The system achieves 50% less trajectory tracking error than baseline methods in simulations.
Rice University students have developed a cutting-edge wearable haptic wristband that can deliver two distinct forms of tactile feedback. The device aims to make virtual reality more immersive and accessible, and is entirely self-contained with a modular design that makes it easy to repair and integrate into different environments.
Researchers at Harvard developed link-bots, centimeter-scale robots composed of V-shaped chains with notched links, capable of coordinated movements and emergent collective behavior. The team demonstrated link-bots' ability to move forward, stop, change direction, squeeze through gaps, and cooperate on tasks.
Researchers at UH found cells can detect weak electric fields due to active matter in the cell membrane. This discovery could lead to breakthroughs in medical devices, biosensors, and disease therapies.
MIT engineers developed a new resin that turns into two different solids depending on the type of light, enabling the creation of complex structures with easily dissolvable supports. This method speeds up the 3D-printing process and reduces waste by allowing for recycling and reuse of the supports.
Quaise Energy has successfully demonstrated its novel drilling technique on a full-scale oil rig, aiming to prove that clean, renewable geothermal energy can power the world. The company's three-tier approach involves replacing conventional drill bits with millimeter-wave energy to create deeper holes and access supercritical water.
Researchers created dynamic metashells that leap into the air on a predetermined schedule without intervention, jumping up to nine times their height. The structures were engineered to store energy and release it at a controlled timing, with scheduled jumps possible from three seconds to 58 hours in advance.
A team of researchers at Texas A&M University has received a $1.6 million grant to develop a system for rapidly accelerating the certification process of 3D-printed critical components used in military applications.
Researchers have demonstrated a new technique using lasers to create ceramics that can withstand ultra-high temperatures. The technique allows for the creation of ceramic coatings, tiles, or complex three-dimensional structures, enabling increased versatility in engineering new devices and technologies.
Rice University's student-led Rice Wind Energy team took second place overall at the 2025 Collegiate Wind Competition. The team designed and built a powerful wind turbine, achieving over 20 watts of power in the wind tunnel, and hosted community outreach initiatives to promote renewable energy.
Researchers from Florida Atlantic University and the German Electron Synchrotron mapped the internal structure of blacktip sharks in unprecedented detail, discovering a microscopic 'sharkitecture' composed of densely packed collagen and bioapatite. This intricate structure gives cartilage surprising strength while allowing flexibility.
A new imaging system can capture high-quality still images of rotating objects in real-time, enabling early detection of wear or damage. The system uses a single-pixel detector and structured illumination to overcome challenges of traditional cameras.
A new robot designed to physically support the elderly and prevent falls as they move around their homes. The Elderly Bodily Assistance Robot (E-BAR) has a set of robotic handlebars that can be used for support, with airbags that inflate instantly to catch users if they fall.
Researchers at Pohang University of Science & Technology (POSTECH) have developed an achromatic metagrating that handles all colors in a single glass layer, eliminating the need for multiple layers. This breakthrough enables vivid full-color images using a 500-µm-thick single-layer waveguide.
Researchers at MIT created a table tennis bot that can return shots with high-speed precision, achieving a hit rate of 88% in tests. The technology could be adapted to improve the speed and responsiveness of humanoid robots for search-and-rescue operations.
Researchers at Texas A&M University are developing a new method to recover rare earth elements from old electronics, such as tablets and phones, using solid-phase extraction technology. This method aims to reduce energy use, cut down on solvents, and streamline the process, making it more environmentally friendly and commercially viable.
Engineers at Princeton University and Georgia Institute of Technology have created a method to reinforce structures without creating new weaknesses. The approach uses microstructures designed to protect against multiple loads, allowing designers to counter various stresses simultaneously.
Kavraki's interdisciplinary research in robotics and biomedicine has been recognized for its impact on manufacturing, space exploration, and medicine. Her work bridges theory and application, with contributions to novel robot motion planning, personalized cancer treatments, and drug discovery.
Researchers develop advanced materials from plant waste, enhancing wood strength without increasing weight or harming the environment. The treatment used is simple, cost-effective and safe, making it a potential replacement for traditional construction materials.
A new robotic system uses cues in a scene to determine a human's objective and quickly identify relevant objects, enabling intuitive assistance in household, workplace, and warehouse settings. The approach achieved 90% accuracy in predicting human objectives and 96% accuracy in identifying relevant objects.