Jumping Frost Crystals: Electrostatic De-icing Effect Could Be a Game-Changer for Aircraft and HVAC Industries
If you have ever gotten up on a winter morning and thrown yourself into the arduous task of scraping frost from a windshield, a Virginia…
Mechanical Engineering
New Equipment Finds the Flaws in Everything – From Airplanes to Cell Phones
Fracture technology innovation allows faster materials testing. Tim Briggs has built a career at Sandia National Laboratories tearing and breaking things apart with his team…
Unleashing the Potential of the Mind: Controlling Digital Interfaces, Such As Phones, Through Brain Signals
Pison, founded by Dexter Ang (MIT ’05), enables people to control digital interfaces, such as their phones, through brain signals. Dexter Ang ’05, AF ’16…
Open-Source Model Created to Help Clinicians Safely Ventilate Two COVID-19 Patients With a Single Ventilator
Open-source model is shared to help medics around the world case of ventilator shortfalls. As Covid-19 continues to put pressure on healthcare providers around the…
New Turbulence Model Could Help Design Aircraft Capable of Handling Extreme Conditions
Engineers make it possible to simulate complete ‘dance’ of colliding vortices at reduced computational time. In 2018, passengers onboard a flight to Australia experienced a…
New Metamaterial Features Mechanical Properties That Can Be Reprogrammed
Over the past 20 years, scientists have been developing metamaterials, or materials that don’t occur naturally and whose mechanical properties result from their designed structure…
Ultrasound “Drills” and Nanodroplets and Prove Effective at Tackling Tough Blood Clots
Engineering researchers have developed a new technique for eliminating particularly tough blood clots, using engineered nanodroplets and an ultrasound “drill” to break up the clots…
Invisible Solar Panels: How Tomorrow’s Windows Will Generate Electricity
A new study led by scientists from Incheon National University in Korea shows how to make a fully transparent solar cell. In a new study…
Fluorescence “Lifetime” Microscopy Technique Uses Frequency Combs and No Mechanical Parts to Observe Dynamic Biological Phenomena
Comb of a Lifetime: A New Method for Fluorescence Microscopy Fluorescence microscopy is widely used in biochemistry and life sciences because it allows scientists to…
Neutronic Engine: New Engine Capability Accelerates Advanced Vehicle Research
In the quest for advanced vehicles with higher energy efficiency and ultra-low emissions, Oak Ridge National Laboratory researchers are accelerating a research engine that gives…
Space Travel Challenge Solved With Origami
Washington State University researchers have used the ancient Japanese art of paper folding to possibly solve a key challenge for outer space travel – how…
Camouflage Skin Developed That Provides On-Demand Cloaking in Both Daylight and Night
Thermally controlled, active imperceptible artificial skin in visible-to-infrared range. Cephalopods’ exceptional ability to hide into any background has inspired researchers to replicate their fascinating ability…
MIT Mechanical Engineers Develop Solutions to Help Slow and Stop the Spread of COVID-19
As cases increased worldwide this spring, mechanical engineers developed solutions to help slow and stop the spread of the coronavirus. An air of uncertainty descended…
Mechanical Engineering Student Helps NASA Design Martian Helicopter
First came Aelita: Queen of Mars, a silent film from 1924 about a Russian engineer who moves to the Red Planet and falls in love…
Battery-Free Ocean Exploration: MIT Underwater Navigation System Powered by Sound
New approach could spark an era of battery-free ocean exploration, with applications ranging from marine conservation to aquaculture. GPS isn’t waterproof. The navigation system depends…
Simple Software Creates Complex Wooden Joints That Interlock With No Nails, Glue, or Tools Needed
An interactive system to design and fabricate structurally sound wood joints. Wood is considered an attractive construction material for both aesthetic and environmental purposes. Construction…
Lily the Barn Owl and Innovative Technology Reveals How Birds Fly in Gusty Winds
Scientists from the University of Bristol and the Royal Veterinary College have discovered how birds are able to fly in gusty conditions — findings that…
Plant-Based Nanowire Spray Could Be Used to Improve N95 Mask Filters, Energy Harvesters
Engineers invent way to spray extremely thin wires on 3D objects. Engineers have invented a way to spray extremely thin wires made of a plant-based…