mechanical engineering archive

Imaging atomic-scale fuel-cell nanoparticles - In a step toward developing better fuel cells for electric cars, engineers at MIT and two other institutions have taken the first images of individual atoms on and near the surface of nanoparticles key to the eco-friendly energy storage devices. October 2, 2008

MIT solves fluid mechanics problem - In work that could lead to ways of controlling aerodynamic separation effect, with potential impacts on fuel efficiency, MIT scientists and colleagues have reported new mathematical and experimental work for predicting where that aerodynamic separation will occur. September 24, 2008

CMSE wins six-year, $19.2m NSF grant - Amid an increasingly challenging federal funding environment, MIT's Center for Materials Science and Engineering has won a six-year, $19.2 million NSF grant that will support research, K-12 educational outreach programs and experimental facilities. September 23, 2008

Click and Clack glimpse cars of the future - The star mechanics of NPR's "Car Talk" got a sneak preview at MIT this week of the kinds of innovative cars and automotive technologies that their listeners might be calling in about in years to come. September 19, 2008

MITEI awards second round of seed grants - The MIT Energy Initiative's second round of seed grants for energy research, announced this week, will go toward a wide array of research topics ranging from power projects for developing countries to computer software that can help to optimize energy use. September 18, 2008

Quantum insights could lead to better detectors - A bizarre but well-established aspect of quantum physics could open up a new era of electronic detectors and imaging systems that would be far more efficient than any now in existence, according to new insights by an MIT leader in the field. September 11, 2008

Nominations open for Doherty Professorship - Nominations are now open for the Doherty Professorship in Ocean Utilization. All nontenured MIT faculty members from any Institute department are eligible. September 10, 2008

Chiang challenges freshmen to follow their passions - If you follow your passion, sometimes you end up in the right place at the right time to have an impact on the world, MIT Professor Yet-Ming Chiang told the Class of 2012 Tuesday during the freshman faculty keynote address. August 26, 2008

Beyond jewelry: Engineering new uses for gold - The glitter of gold may hold more than just beauty, or so says a team of MIT researchers that is working on ways to use tiny gold rods to fight cancer, deliver drugs and more. But first they must overcome one major difficulty: the rods' surface. August 22, 2008

MIT recommends steps to slash fuel use by 2035 - Detailed analyses in a new MIT report published this month conclude that over the next 25 years, the fuel consumption of new vehicles could be reduced by 30-50 percent and total U.S. fuel use for vehicles could be cut to year 2000 levels. August 5, 2008

Protection built to scale--fish scale, that is - Scientists seeking to protect the soldier of the future can learn a lot from a relic of the past, according to an MIT study of a primitive fish that could point to more effective ways of designing human body armor. July 27, 2008

MIT students seek to harness campus's waste heat - MIT's cogeneration plant, which provides most of the electricity, heat and air conditioning for the campus, could get even more efficient if a team of students' project to harness surplus heat works as expected. July 24, 2008

MIT reports finer lines for microchips - MIT researchers have achieved a significant advance in nanoscale lithographic technology, used in the manufacture of computer chips and electronic devices, to make finer patterns of lines over larger areas than have been possible with other methods. July 8, 2008

Using a light touch to measure protein bonds - MIT researchers have developed a novel technique to measure the strength of the bonds between two protein molecules important in cell machinery: Gently tugging them apart with light beams. June 30, 2008

MIT prototype solar dish passes first tests - A team led by MIT students this week successfully tested a prototype of what may be the most cost-efficient solar power system in the world--one team members believe has the potential to revolutionize global energy production. June 18, 2008

School of Engineering awards - Awards given in the MIT School of Engineering for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

Mechanical Engineering awards - Awards given in MIT Mechanical Engineering for the academic year 2007-2008. June 4, 2008

MIT student ingenuity sparks all-electric Porsche - With a click and a hum, the sleek Porsche 914 pulled away from the curb while onlookers watched anxiously and the passenger gazed down at a laptop plugged into the dashboard. Why the drama? The 1976 Porsche was operating on 18 high-tech batteries. May 21, 2008

On a roll: Students bring mobility to remote areas - MIT students in this year's 'Wheelchair Design in Developing Countries' class split into five teams and each came up with new variations on how to help bring mobility to people whose lives could be dramatically changed by it. May 21, 2008

Incoming frosh numero 'uno' on invention list - Teenager Ben Gulak got a bit of a head start on his training in mechanical engineering. As an incoming freshman at MIT, he's already been featured on the cover of Popular Science magazine for having come up with the year's top invention. May 14, 2008

Ghoniem to receive $10M KAUST award - Ahmed F. Ghoniem, the Ronald C. Crane (1972) Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been selected to receive a $10 million, five-year award from the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology (KAUST).  May 12, 2008

Beaver-like robots face off in annual MIT contest - Robots designed to toss pool-noodle trees into a river of ping-pong balls ruled over competitors focused on rescuing fuzzy toy beavers in this year's 2.007 contest, "Da (yes) MIT, or Save the Baby Beavers," held on Thursday, May 8, at MIT. May 9, 2008

Design Squad takes systems-based approach to attracting future engineers - According to the NSF, the United States faces a daunting challenge: College-bound students' interest in engineering majors are decreasing and statistics show an even greater decline in interest among minority and female students. May 7, 2008

Engineering an award-winning TV program - From hosting the show to advising behind the scenes, members of the MIT community have played an important role in developing and implementing the popular PBS series Design Squad, which recently won the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. May 7, 2008

MIT examines reality of slashing gasoline use - It is possible to slash fuel use by all vehicles on U.S. roads to pre-2000 levels within a few decades, but doing so would require immediate action on several challenging fronts, according to a new analysis by MIT researchers. May 6, 2008

Harnessing sunlight on the cheap - For a project that could be on the very cutting edge of renewable energy, this one is decidedly low tech--and that's the point. A team of students is assembling a prototype for a concentrating solar power system built from simple, inexpensive materials. May 6, 2008

MIT robot tourney concludes May 7-8 - The final rounds of MIT's action-packed annual robot competition will be held Wednesday, May 7, and Thursday, May 8, in the Johnson Athletic Center. The events are free and open to the public. May 5, 2008

Boyce to head mechanical engineering - Mary Boyce, the Gail E. Kendall Professor of Mechanical Engineering, has been named the next head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering effective July 1, School of Engineering Dean Subra Suresh announced this week. May 2, 2008

Class tracks carbon footprint of different lifestyles - Whether you live in a cardboard box or a luxurious mansion, anyone who lives in the U.S. contributes more than twice as much greenhouse gas to the atmosphere as the global average, an MIT class has estimated. April 16, 2008

How strong is a hurricane? Just listen - Knowing how powerful a hurricane will be can help to save lives. Airplanes currently provide this crucial data by flying into the storm, gathering wind speed informaion. Some MIT researchers now think there's a better way: using sound. April 9, 2008

Researchers boost thermoelectric efficiency - Researchers at Boston College and MIT have used nanotechnology to achieve a major increase in thermoelectric efficiency, a milestone that paves the way for a new generation of products that run cleaner. March 20, 2008

MIT researchers devise new cell-sorting system - Capitalizing on a cell's ability to roll along a surface, MIT researchers have developed a simple, inexpensive system to sort different kinds of cells--a process that could result in low-cost tests for diseases such as cancer, even in remote locations. March 12, 2008

Turning 'funky' quantum mysteries into reality - The strange world of quantum mechanics can provide a way to surpass limits in speed, efficiency and accuracy of computing, communications and measurement, according to research by MIT scientist Seth Lloyd. February 16, 2008

Students unveil eco-product prototypes - The MIT course assignment was wide open: Design something based on the principles of reduce, reuse and recycle, and develop it into a prototype product. The results ranged from simple mechanical devices to complex electronic machines. December 18, 2007

At play with Barry Kudrowitz, MIT toy designer - Tis always the season for Barry Kudrowitz to think about toys. A doctoral student in mechanical engineering, Kudrowitz specializes in toys: He plays with them; he designs them; and he pioneered MIT's first course in toy design, now in its third year. December 12, 2007

MIT creates oil-repelling materials - MIT engineers have designed a class of material structures that can repel oils, a novel discovery that could be used to help protect parts of airplanes or rockets that are vulnerable to damage from being soaked in fuel, like rubber gaskets and o-rings. December 6, 2007

Awards and honors - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. December 5, 2007

Cuter scooter defined by electricity, portability - It's energy efficient, it's clean, compact and simple, and, above all, it's very cool. All of these factors could be significant in getting people to adopt a lightweight, electrically powered scooter designed by an MIT professor and students. November 27, 2007

MIT pair honored for biopsy advance - Two MIT graduate students reached the finals of last week's Collegiate Inventors Competition, organized by the National Inventors Hall of Fame Foundation, for their work on a device that makes needle biopsies less invasive. November 6, 2007

MIT finishes fourth in DARPA Grand Challenge - MIT's automated Land Rover, packed with computers and electronic sensors, finished fourth in the DARPA Grand Challenge. The MIT vehicle, competing for the first time, was one of only six to complete the challenging 55-mile course. November 5, 2007

MIT's 'robocar' named finalist - Team MIT has made it to the finals of the DARPA Urban Challenge, a competition for cars and trucks that run without human help. The goal of the contest is to develop vehicles that can operate on their own in battle and keep humans out of harm's way. November 1, 2007

A light beam for manipulation of cells on chips - In a feat that seems like something out of a microscopic version of Star Trek, MIT researchers have found a way to use a "tractor beam" of light to pick up, hold and move around individual cells and other objects on the surface of a microchip. October 31, 2007

A good luck send-off for 'Robocar' - CSAIL Director Victor Zue makes remarks at a send-off barbeque lunch in early October for MIT's self-driving "Robocar." October 17, 2007

After 12 years at MIT, recent Ph.D. grad makes history - AliciA Jillian Hardy entered MIT in the fall of 1995 as one of the handful of freshmen who come to the Institute planning to major in the humanities. September 27, 2007

Herr wins $250,000 Heinz Award - Professor Hugh Herr, a double amputee whose work has led to the development of new prosthetic innovations that merge body and machine, has won the 13th annual Heinz Award for Technology, the Economy and Employment. September 12, 2007

Ph.D. student Jhingran is public speaking champ - An MIT doctoral candidate from India has won first place in the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking with a speech about finding himself through meditation - and about getting into MIT. August 21, 2007

MIT student seeks public speaking championship - An MIT doctoral student who devoted the past seven years to detailed research on offshore drilling will have just seven minutes to make his mark in the Toastmasters International World Championship of Public Speaking, starting Aug. 15 in Phoenix. August 15, 2007

GM plugs in to battery technology with MIT roots - A company with roots at MIT has been selected to develop battery cells to power the Chevrolet Volt, a highly anticipated plug-in hybrid car that should be able to travel about 40 miles on battery power alone. GM hopes to begin selling the car in 2010. August 10, 2007

DARPA names MIT's 'robocar' a semifinalist - An MIT vehicle that effectively drives itself has been selected as a semifinalist in this year's DARPA Urban Challenge, a competition for cars and trucks that run without human help. August 9, 2007

Robotic ankle research gets off on the right foot - An Army veteran who lost part of his leg in Iraq walked with more spring in his step Monday as he unveiled the world's first robotic ankle -- an important advance for lower-limb amputees that was developed by a team at MIT. July 23, 2007

MIT researchers work toward fuel-efficient engines - In an advance that could help curb global demand for oil, MIT researchers have demonstrated how ordinary spark-ignition automobile engines can, under certain driving conditions, move into a spark-free operating mode that is fuel-efficient and just as clean. July 23, 2007

Drivers Unwanted: MIT 'Robocar' takes a spin - A team of MIT faculty and researchers are working toward what could be the car of the future: a vehicle that drives itself, with people as passengers. Their vehicle took a driving test last week during a visit by officials from the DARPA Urban Challenge competition. June 28, 2007

Mechanical Engineering Professors receive Khan, Martore awards - Two professor of mechanical engineering have been recognized for their work. June 20, 2007

Mechanical engineering awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

School of Engineering awards - Recent achievements by members of the MIT community. June 6, 2007

MIT students build bike for disabled kids - A team of MIT students in Course 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes) built the Revolution bicycle, designed to help developmentally disabled children learn to ride a bike. June 6, 2007

Students take Porsche to electric avenue - For the past six months a team of MIT students has spent hundreds of hours converting a sleek Porsche 914 into an electric vehicle. Their goal? To demonstrate the viability of electric vehicle technology and to help clarify what has yet to be done. June 5, 2007

Women's Technology Program graduates first class - Alisha Schor, Emily Slutsky, and Kyung Jin Chang are among six seniors making history as the first members of MIT's Women's Technology Program to graduate from the Institute. June 4, 2007

Shutting fume hoods will save energy and money - Fume hoods keep chemists from breathing noxious vapors, but a single fume hood running 24 hours uses as much energy as a single-family home. A group of students, staff, and administrators aims to save millions by advocating mindful use of fume hoods. June 1, 2007

MIT researchers probe bones' tiny building blocks - In work that could lead to more effective diagnoses and treatments of bone diseases using only a pinhead-sized sample of a patient's bone, MIT researchers report a first-of-its-kind analysis of bone's mechanical properties. May 24, 2007

Student's elegant, relentless machine wins robo-fest - In a raucous battle of the 'bots that exuded energy squared, senior Stephanie Sidelko took top honors May 9 in MIT's annual Design 2.007 contest when she and her machine outwitted, outlasted and outmaneuvered the tough competition. May 22, 2007

Fiber bridge connects Incan, student engineers - A technology that once brought the bold conquistadores of Spain to their knees in fear in the jungles of South America has come to the dry moat behind the Stata Center, in the form of a fiber bridge. The bridge was built by students in Course 3.094. May 16, 2007

MIT urged to educate 'geeks' and 'chiefs' - Professor Yossi Sheffi gave the Charles L. Miller lecture April 5, advocating education not only of "geeks"--world class technical designers--but also of "chiefs"--world-class leaders. May 16, 2007

Mechanical engineering robo-fest starts May 15 - MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering will celebrate its annual festival of maximum design and engineering on May 15 and 16 at 6 p.m. in the Johnson Athletic Center. The event is free and open to the public. May 14, 2007

Thinking locally: appropriate technology challenges - Amy Smith, a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering, works with her students to find "appropriate technology" for developing nations. "The essence of really good design is embodied in these challenges," Smith said at an STS colloquium May 7. May 14, 2007

Model helps students visualize nanoscale problems - An educational experiment during IAP demonstrated that students can learn to apply sophisticated atomistic modeling techniques to traditional materials research in just a few classes, an advance that could dramatically change the way civil engineers learn to model the mechanical properties of materials. April 2, 2007

MIT reveals the tangle under turbulence - MIT researchers report that they have visualized for the first time a convoluted tangle underlying turbulence. This work may ultimately help engineers design better planes, cars, submarines and engines. March 28, 2007

MIT shows how blood cells change shape - For the first time, MIT researchers have developed a dynamic, molecular-level model that describes how red blood cells deform their normal disc shape to pass through vessels that are often much narrower than the cells themselves. March 12, 2007

New center to explore quantum information theory - MIT's new $3.5 million W. M. Keck Foundation Center for Extreme Quantum Information Theory (xQIT) enables a major new push by MIT theorists in the international race to determine the ultimate capabilities of quantum information systems. March 9, 2007

Lemelson winner designs for public safety - Nathan Ball, graduate student in mechanical engineering and this year's winner of the $30,000 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize, has invented a device that makes the fantasy of leaping tall buildings in a single bound come close to reality. February 14, 2007

MIT improves protein sorting with a new microchip - A new MIT microchip system promises to speed up the separation and sorting of biomolecules such as proteins. The work could help scientists better detect certain molecules associated with diseases, potentially leading to earlier diagnoses. February 5, 2007

Nanocomposites yield strong and stretchy fibers - Creating artificial substances that are both stretchy and strong has long been an elusive engineering goal. Inspired by spider silk, MIT researchers have now devised a way to produce a material that begins to mimic this combination of desirable properties. January 18, 2007

MIT ethanol analysis confirms benefits of biofuels - A new MIT analysis shows that the amount of energy used by converting corn into ethanol and the amount of fossil energy of the ethanol produced are so close that several factors can easily change whether ethanol ends up a net energy winner or loser. January 8, 2007

Ticket to ride - Anne Matheson, left, recreation director, Cardinal Cushing Center, assists Sarah Tabbi on a bicycle designed and built by MIT students for mechanical engineering course 2.009. December 20, 2006

Museum displays 'Singular Beauty' of microscopes - The MIT Museum is currently showcasing the exquisite beauty of the simple microscope, the portable single-lens instruments invented in the 17th century and made famous by naturalists such as Antoni van Leeuwenhoek, Carl Linnaeus and Charles Darwin.  December 13, 2006

Project aids makeover of Project Hope shelter - Thanks to the MIT Hobby Shop and a group of dedicated students, several families living in the Project Hope shelter in Boston will have a sturdy storage unit for their belongings. December 11, 2006

Wanted: Biologists who can speak 'math' - Biologists, computer scientists and engineers speak different languages. This communications divide is becoming more of a problem now that research so often requires collaboration across disciplines. November 22, 2006

Work may aid study of collagen ailments - An MIT researcher's mathematical model explains for the first time the distinctive structure of collagen, a material key to healthy human bone, muscles and other tissues. The new model shows collagen's structure from the atomic to the tissue scale. November 14, 2006

Soap Box speakers urge energy conservation - Americans need to take personal responsibility for their energy consumption, according to John Heywood, the Sun Jae Professor of Mechanical Engineering and director of the Sloan Automotive Laboratory. November 13, 2006

Robots headed for deepwater operations - MIT Sea Grant recently co-hosted a technology forum to discuss how autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) can offer low-cost solutions for deepwater oil and natural gas exploration and production. November 8, 2006

Engineer to review energy use in manufacturing - MIT professor Timothy G. Gutowski's mission is to help the manufacturing industry lighten up, energy-wise. November 1, 2006

Green research unites Institute across disciplines - Green design research at MIT has one focal point in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, where Professor Timothy G. Gutowski works on environmentally benign manufacturing processes. November 1, 2006

Gutowski focuses on design to boost recycling - It's easy to feel virtuous about tossing a newspaper or Poland Springs bottle into the recycling bin. But is all our recycling actually helping the environment? November 1, 2006

Engineers probe spiders' polymer art - A team of MIT engineers has identified two key physical processes that lend spider silk its unrivaled strength and durability, bringing closer to reality the long-sought goal of spinning artificial spider silk. October 30, 2006

Pint-sized car engine promises high efficiency - MIT researchers are developing a half-sized gasoline engine that performs like its full-sized cousin but offers fuel efficiency approaching that of today's hybrid engine system--at a far lower cost. The key? Carefully controlled injection of ethanol. October 25, 2006

MIT's intelligent aircraft fly, cooperate autonomously - MIT researchers and collaborators have laid the groundwork for an intelligent airborne fleet of small, unmanned vehicles for military use. The vehicles would require little human supervision and could automatically monitor their condition. September 26, 2006

Student makes lots of dough -- in the lab - Trevor Shen Kuan Ng rolls dough. He also stretches it like Silly Putty and twirls it like taffy. Ng's Ph.D. thesis concerns the mechanical properties of matter--in this case, dough--and how it behaves when subjected to forces. September 26, 2006

MIT's molecular sieve advances protein research - New MIT technology promises to speed up the separation of proteins from complex biological fluids. This action is becoming increasingly important for understanding diseases and developing new treatments September 11, 2006

MIT energy experts explore life "beyond carbon" - MIT professors John Heywood, John Deutch and Ernest Moniz tackled energy in Scientific American's September issue, whose cover proclaims the theme "Energy's Future: Beyond Carbon." September 5, 2006

Deep-sea oil rigs inspire designs for wind turbines - An MIT researcher's vision of wind turbines floating on platforms a hundred miles out to sea, where the winds are strong and steady, can provide onshore customers with enough electricity to power several hundred thousand homes. August 29, 2006

Sun and new fuels power student vehicles - Students from 21 universities around the world gathered at MIT this summer to design and build commuter vehicles that exploit human power, bio-fuels, solar technologies and fuel cells to travel at least 500 miles per gallon of fuel. August 14, 2006

Kayaks adapted to test marine robotics - MIT researchers are working toward the day when a team of robots could be put into action like a team of Navy SEALs -- doing such dangerous work as searching for survivors after devastating hurricanes or sweeping harbors for mines. August 7, 2006

New device offers assist in needle biopsies - Two MIT graduate students have helped design a machine that may make needle biopsies less invasive and less prone to complications for lung cancer patients. July 19, 2006

Team envisions exploring Mars with mini probes - MIT engineers and scientist colleagues have a new vision for the future of Mars exploration: a swarm of probes, each the size of a baseball, spreading out across the planet in every direction. July 17, 2006

Professor Robert W. Mann dies at 81 - Robert W. Mann, an engineer and former rocket scientist who developed the world's first biomedical prosthetic device, died Friday, June 16, of a heart attack. A longtime resident of Lexington, Mass., and Moultonborough, N.H., Mann was 81. June 19, 2006

Student summit set on vehicle design - Seventy-three students from 21 universities around the world will gather at MIT from June 13-Aug. 13 to design and build between five and 10 commuter vehicles that travel at least 500 miles per gallon of fuel. June 14, 2006

Mechanical engineering awards - 2006 Awards listings. June 7, 2006

Students win grant for Lesotho solar generator - Two MIT graduate students in civil and environmental engineering have won a 2006 World Bank Development Marketplace grant to develop a solar micro-generator that would provide affordable energy to Lesotho. June 5, 2006

Freshmen automate dorm room - Little by little, freshmen Zack Anderson and R.J. Ryan, residents of East Campus, have turned an ordinary, standard-issue dorm room into something extraordinary: a fully automated pad. May 24, 2006

Toy designers make brushing fun - Getting kids to brush their teeth can be hard work, but MIT students in a toy design class took on the challenge this semester by creating toys that make dental hygiene fun. May 24, 2006

2.007 robots face off at finals - The final rounds of this year's iteration of the annual robot contest put on by MIT mechanical engineering students boiled down to a machine named Charlie and a simple plan for victory. May 23, 2006

Skyscraper rises on campus - "Muscles," a 35-foot-high skyscraper designed to change posture thanks to a jointed spine and pneumatic muscles, was constructed in front of the Stratton Student Center at MIT on Friday, May 12. May 16, 2006

Media Lab hosts workshop on body sensors - Experts in wireless sensing and implantable electronics convened at the MIT Media Lab recently for the Body Sensor Network 2006 International Workshop. April 12, 2006

Ernest Rabinowicz, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, dies at 79 - Ernest Rabinowicz, professor emeritus of mechanical engineering, died April 3. He worked at MIT for 43 years and was known for his work in tribology, the study of the design, friction and wear of interacting surfaces. April 7, 2006

Building a better wheelchair - A graduate student in mechanical engineering spent last summer assessing wheelchair technology and availability in Tanzania -- a country where only 3 percent of those who need a wheelchair can get one. March 21, 2006

One fish, two fish: New sensor improves fish counts - Researchers at MIT have found a new way of looking beneath the ocean surface that could help definitively determine whether fish populations are shrinking, using a sensor system that tracks fish populations over a 10,000-square-kilometer area. February 2, 2006

IAP: Student makes engineering kid-friendly - Contrary to popular belief, engineering concepts can be taught to children as young as 5, graduate student Kristen Bethke explained to a handful of students during a Jan. 11 Independent Activities Period seminar called "Teaching Engineering to Kids." January 17, 2006

IAP: Class targets landmine removal - Andrew Heafitz, winner of the 2002 Lemelson-MIT Student Prize for Inventiveness, is challenging students to clean up the cruelest litter of war in two back-to-back IAP sessions on Wednesday, Jan. 18, in the Edgerton Center. January 17, 2006

Course 2.12 sends robots to the rescue - Images of men, women and children stranded on rooftops or trapped amid mountains of rubble inspired designers of an MIT engineering course to apply robotics technology to disaster response and rescue missions. December 19, 2005

2.009 students sprout ideas for agriculture - An agricultural theme unites the six alpha prototypes that will be presented at this year's final session of Course 2.009, Product Engineering Processes, to be held on Monday, Dec. 12. December 7, 2005

MIT closes in on bionic speed - MIT researchers, led by Professor Sidney Yip, have proposed a new theory that could make robotic muscles 1,000 times faster than human muscles, with virtually no extra energy demands. November 7, 2005

Seniors prepare for harvest - Seniors in mechanical engineering Brian Shieh, James Labuz and Andrew Greenhut, all students in course 2.009, Product Engineering Processes, had everything they needed to make their banana harvester work, right down to 25 pounds of green banana stalks. October 26, 2005

MIT cancer program granted $3.2 million - An MIT program designed to identify early signs of cancer using nanotechnologies has been named one of 12 national Cancer Nanotechnology Platform Partnerships through the National Cancer Institute. October 21, 2005

In a reflective mood - Mechanical engineering students line up in Killian Court on Friday, Sept. 30, with mirrors to reflect the sun. They were focusing sunlight on a wooden boat in hopes of setting the boat on fire. October 11, 2005

Culpepper honored at White House - Assistant Professor Martin L. Culpepper was honored at a White House ceremony with President Bush as one of 58 researchers to receive 2004 Presidential Early Career Awards for Scientists and Engineers. July 1, 2005

MIT develops Anklebot for stroke patients - MIT pioneers in the field of robotic therapy are hoping a robotic gym full of machines targeted at different parts of the body will significantly improve stroke patients' movement in arms, wrists, hands, legs and ankles. June 30, 2005

MIT author gets ticket to Hollywood - MIT scientist Karl Iagnemma, now developing rovers to traverse the rocky dunes of Mars, has applied the language of science to the rough terrain of the human heart--and Hollywood is taking note. June 23, 2005

Mechanical engineering awards - 2005 awards listings. June 1, 2005

Robots go for Tic-Tech-Toe - Mark Cote's squeezer-grabber-thingy-bopper ruled over Robert Panas' flipper-upper-doo-hoppy in the final tie-breaking rounds of Tic-Tech-Toe, the robot competition for students in MIT's course 2.007. May 17, 2005

Professors make uncommon connections - An engineer working with a gymnastics coach and a chemist collaborating with surgeons were among those who described their collaborative research work at MIT during a May 3 Inauguration Week symposium. May 5, 2005

Robot contest puts design into action - Visitors have a unique chance to view a video history of MIT's famed robot contest 2.007, and get an insider's preview of the 2005 contest in an inauguration week event, "Learning by Design," on Thursday, May 5. May 4, 2005

Engineering success story - Adjunct Professor Ernesto Blanco of mechanical engineering displayed some of his inventions in the department's first-floor lounge. May 4, 2005

Make vrrooom for Motorsports - Members of the MIT Motorsports team gather around their newest effort, a racecar for the annual Society of Automotive Engineers competition, which will be held in Detroit in May. April 27, 2005

MIT builds bridge to Milan - MIT has entered into a partnership with Milan Politecnico, Italy's top engineering school, to foster collaboration between the two schools in the fields of materials science, bioengineering and mechanical engineering. April 25, 2005

Entrepreneur alumnus to fund winning thesis idea - An MIT alumnus and entrepreneur whose doctoral thesis provided the basis for what is now a $2 billion high-tech firm will fund a $50,000 prize for the best idea proposed by a graduate student in mechanical engineering. February 18, 2005

Subtle changes will improve workhorse engine - Design changes to an engine commonly used to power factories and residential buildings will result in increased fuel efficiency and reduced emissions, according to a team of MIT researchers. January 31, 2005

Here comes Santa Claus - A pint-sized Santa Claus, with help from a student-designed robot, deposits gifts down a chimney. The robot was one of four competing in the final project for Professor Harry Asada's Introduction to Robotics class. December 23, 2004

Team helps shed light on malaria - A group of researchers, including Subra Suresh, report the most complete characterization yet of how a healthy human blood cell changes its shape upon being invaded by the malaria-inducing parasite Plasmodium falciparum. December 13, 2004

Ocean and mechanical engineering merge - The Executive Committee of the Corporation approved on Dec. 2 the merger of the departments of ocean engineering and mechanical engineering. December 8, 2004

Input sought for department merger - A committee chaired by Professor Steven Tannenbaum, Underwood-Prescott Professor of Toxicology and Professor of Chemistry, is seeking input on a possible merger of Ocean Engineering with Mechanical Engineering. September 15, 2004

Mechanical engineering - 2004 awards listings. June 2, 2004

Roving on court - Students in the Introduction to Robotics tested their rovers--Spirit and Opportunity--on Killian Court on Thursday, May 13. May 19, 2004

Multipronged approach needed - A new multidimensional approach to tackling the U.S. petroleum problem was outlined by John Heywood and Anup Bandivadekar at a March 18 lunchtime seminar. March 24, 2004

Habitat benefits from 2.009 projects - This year's course assignment for 2.009 (Product Engineering Processes) challenged students to develop products for Habitat for Humanity volunteers and do-it-yourself homeowners in a service learning project. December 9, 2003

HexFlex manipulates cables - HexFlex, developed by MIT inventors led by Assistant Professor of Mechanical Engineering Martin Culpepper, has won a 2003 R&D 100 Award. October 1, 2003

MIT's HexFlex manipulates the nanoscopic - Using a fundamentally new design, an MIT team has invented the HexFlex Nanomanipulator that's not only inexpensive but performs better in many ways than its competitors. September 30, 2003

RoboSnails mimic nature - The snail now has its first robotic counterpart in research at MIT that could lead to new forms of locomotion for future machines. September 10, 2003

RoboSnails model movements - The humble snail now has its first robotic counterpart in research at MIT that could lead to new forms of locomotion for future machines. September 4, 2003

Solution of walking-on-water mystery - MIT researchers report that they now understand how the insects known as water striders skim effortlessly across the surface of ponds and oceans. August 6, 2003

Li pictures to aid battery research - MIT engineer and colleagues have taken the first images of individual atoms of lithium, a key ingredient in state-of-the-art rechargeable batteries. June 16, 2003

2.007 'bots groove - The annual contest (now in its 33rd year) challenges sophomores in mechanical engineering to design, build and compete with autonomous robots, or 'bots. May 14, 2003

MIT lab to mimic spider silk - As a fiber, spider silk is so desirable that scientists have spent decades trying to find a way to mimic it. A team at MIT has been tackling the problem from two directions. April 18, 2003

Hydrogen vehicle not viable - The hydrogen fuel-cell vehicle will not be better than the diesel hybrid in terms of total energy use and greenhouse gas emissions by 2020. March 5, 2003

Eco cars and reality - To develop the eco-friendly car of the future, the US must continue to improve mainstream automotive technologies, said John B. Heywood. February 12, 2003

2.009 student products - Seniors in 2.009 ("Product Engineering Processes") used their ingenuity this semester to design goods for people in the developing world or with disabilities. December 11, 2002

Team works toward energy-efficient Chinese homes - Researchers demonstrated that a group of energy-efficient low-rise buildings could provide the same living conditions as energy-consuming high-rise structures. December 11, 2002

MIT, London report transatlantic touch - Researchers at MIT and UC London have linked hands in the first transatlantic touch, "feeling" each other's manipulations of a small box on a computer screen. October 28, 2002

Lab develops new technique - MIT researchers have developed a new physical approach to protecting information such as credit card numbers sent over the Internet or electronic cash stored in smart cards. September 25, 2002

Approach to secure digital information developed - Researchers at the MIT Center for Bits and Atoms report that they have developed a new physical approach to protecting digital information. September 19, 2002

Mechanical engineering awards - The Department of Mechanical Engineering recognized the achievements of numerous students at an awards luncheon on May 16. June 5, 2002

High-spirited 2.007 contest - A unique four-wheel drive robot painted with a toothy grin like a WWII bomber and designed to work like a force of nature won first place in "Schwing!" May 15, 2002

Prof. Blanco awarded trophy - Machines may rock, machines may stall, but the message running through every 2.007 contest is the same: engineering design is a playful, spiritual thing. May 15, 2002

Seth Lloyd to give Sigma Xi lecture Monday in La Sala - Seth Lloyd, associate professor of mechanical engineering, will present this year's Sigma Xi lecture, "Computational Capacity of the Universe." May 8, 2002

Site to help building designers save energy - An MIT web site will soon enable architects to see whether they can save energy and increase comfort by facing their new building south rather than west. February 6, 2002

2.009 students build wireless - "Product Engineering Processes" (2.009) requires students to conceptualize, design and build a product in a single semester, then present a business plan and marketing spiel. December 19, 2001

Mobility study warnings - People's insatiable appetite for mobility is heading the world's transportation systems toward unsustainable environmental degradation and gridlock unless several grand challenges are tackled. October 31, 2001

MIT study warns gridlock, pollution - People's insatiable appetite for mobility is heading the world's transportation systems toward unsustainable gridlock and environmental degradation unless several grand challenges are tackled, MIT concludes. October 30, 2001

Two chosen for MEng posts - Professor Rohan C. Abeyaratne, former associate head of the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been named the new department head, succeeding Professor Nam Suh. October 3, 2001

The future of GPS - Exploiting "quantum weirdness" would dramatically improve the precision of radar, sonar, the global positioning system and other object locators, according to MIT researchers. August 29, 2001

Carrying a torch - Ten-year-old Adelina Huo solders a joint on a go-cart that she and three other girls built as part of an Experimental Studies group project. August 29, 2001

'Quantum weirdness' may help GPS - Exploiting "quantum weirdness" would dramatically improve the precision of radar, sonar, the global positioning system (GPS) and other object locators, MIT researchers report. August 22, 2001

MechE presents awards - The Department of Mechanical Engineering presented certificates to students at its annual awards luncheon in the Pappalardo Lab on May 17. June 6, 2001

"Tiltillator" conquers 2.007 - This year's 2.007 contest, "Tiltillator," was a win-win-win-win situation for the top four competitors in MIT's 31st annual celebration of design, manufacturing, physics and fun. May 16, 2001

2.007 contest gets underway - MIT's Department of Mechanical Engineering will host the 31st Design 2.007 contest on Wednesday, May 9 at 7pm in the Johnson Athletics Center. May 2, 2001

MechE alum to speak at MIT - The Department of Mechanical Engineering Distinguished Alumni/ae Series will present "Leadership in a Technology Era," a talk by Hock E. Tan. April 25, 2001