Mechanical engineering

MIT Global Founders’ Skills Accelerator announces 2013 student teamsStartup accelerator includes eight MIT student teams as well as teams from six international universities.

Students with toys: Not just playing aroundIn mechanical engineering department’s toy-design class, teams design creative board games, plush toys and puzzles.

Water purification process named 'Technology Idol of the Year'Humidification-dehumidification (HDH) carrier gas extraction process developed by researchers at MIT.

Mechanical engineering professor Joseph LeConte Smith Jr. dies at 83Longtime director of Cryogenic Engineering Laboratory taught at MIT from 1956 to 2008.

Research update: Team observes real-time charging of a lithium-air batteryImaging reveals what happens during charging; could lead to improved batteries for electric cars.

In 2.007, slow and steady wins the raceFinal tournament of robots in mechanical engineering class features wide variety of designs and strategies.

‘The place I needed to be’An early passion for mechanical engineering drew first‑generation student Madeline Salazar to MIT.

Wind power — even without the windInnovative storage system could enable offshore wind farms to deliver power whenever it’s needed.

A blueprint for reversible wrinkling in composite materialsA new model gives scientists guidelines to develop ‘smart’ composite materials with wrinkled microstructures.

Hop, skip or jump? Study says no to all of the aboveMIT engineers find that in the earliest stages of arthritis, high-impact exercise may worsen cartilage damage.

Modern-day inventorMIT senior Paul Lazarescu uses his engineering talents to help people with disabilities and improve everyday technology.

A new wrinkle in online educationAn experimental online course gives some students scheduling freedom.

Mary Boyce to lead Columbia University’s engineering schoolMechanical Engineering department head named dean of the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science.

Research update: A new model accurately predicts three-dimensional sand flowModel may be useful in improving the flow of grain in silos, and drug capsules in pharmaceutical manufacturing.

Faculty describe experiments with digital learning on MacVicar DayParticipants discuss how they are 'reimagining the MIT classroom.'

Four professors named 2013 MacVicar FellowsGriffith, Miller, Schulz and Teng awarded the Institute’s highest undergraduate teaching honor.

New rankings acclaim MIT’s graduate programs in engineering, businessMIT leads in seven engineering disciplines and three business fields, says U.S. News & World Report.

MIT ‘cheetah’ robot rivals running animals in efficiencyRobot’s custom-designed electric motors are powerful and efficient.

Radical Innovation course resonates with Italian industry professionalsSanjay Sarma urges Italian companies to capitalize on the country's innovative heritage to launch skunkworks efforts.

MIT researchers develop solar-to-fuel roadmap for crystalline siliconNew analysis points the way to optimizing efficiency of an integrated system for harvesting sunlight to make storable fuel.

Sterilizing with the sunSolar concentrating system could replace fuel-powered or electric devices in remote villages.

That’s the way the droplets adhereNew technique developed by MIT researchers provides first direct views of how drops and bubbles adhere to surfaces — and how they let go.

Daniel Jimenez named Gates Cambridge Scholar for 2013Alumnus to pursue graduate studies in engineering for sustainable development at Cambridge University.

A cooler way to protect silicon surfacesNew room-temperature process could lead to less expensive solar cells and other electronic devices.

‘Invisible’ particles could enhance thermoelectric devicesNew approach could improve the efficiency of devices that harness power from temperature differences.

Purification on the cheapSystem developed at MIT cleans ‘produced water’ from natural gas wells, could lead to improved desalination plants for developing countries.

MIT students create new medical devicesPrecision machine design class links doctors with students to find ways of meeting pressing medical needs for new technology.

Rare earth oxides make water-repellent surfaces that lastCeramic forms of hydrophobic materials could be far more durable than existing coatings or surface treatments.

Tiny tools help advance medical discoveriesMIT researchers are designing tools to analyze cells at the microscale.

Research update: Jumping droplets help heat transferScalable nanopatterned surfaces designed by MIT researchers could make for more efficient power generation and desalination.