Mechanical engineering

“We want to see, in the next five years or so, the amount of time you need to search for parking spot in a city drop from around 35 to 40 minutes, to less than five minutes,” says Smarking co-founder Wen Sang PhD ’14.

Optimizing parking in the busiest places

Data-analytics platform helps parking managers meet driver demand in high-traffic areas.

October 12, 2016

To demonstrate Foundry, MIT researchers designed and fabricated skis with retro-reflective surfaces, a ping-pong paddle, a helmet, and even a bone that may someday be used for surgical planning.

Designing for 3-D printing

“Foundry” tool from the Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab lets you design a wide range of multi-material 3-D-printed objects.

October 11, 2016

Researchers have developed a novel way to test tumors for drug susceptibility. They successfully tested this approach with a very aggressive type of brain cancer called glioblastoma multiforme and a type of blood cancer, pictured here in dark purple, known as acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

A new strategy for choosing cancer drugs

Device can predict tumor responses by measuring cell growth after drug exposure.

October 10, 2016

To demonstrate the supercapacitor's ability to store power, the researchers modified an off-the-shelf hand-crank flashlight (the red parts at each side) by cutting it in half and installing a small supercapacitor in the center, in a conventional button battery case, seen at top. When the crank is turned to provide power to the flashlight, the light continues to glow long after the cranking stops, ...

New kind of supercapacitor made without carbon

Energy storage device could deliver more power than current versions of this technology.

October 10, 2016

U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker and MIT President L. Rafael Reif discuss innovation and entrepreneurship at an event hosted by the MIT Innovation Initiative.

Advancing manufacturing innovation on campus and online

The White House highlights MIT’s latest efforts as part of National Manufacturing Day.

October 7, 2016

“We are particularly interested in wetsuits for surfing, where the athlete moves frequently between air and water environments,” says Anette (Peko) Hosoi, a professor of mechanical engineering and associate head of the department at MIT. “We can control the length, spacing, and arrangement of hairs, which allows us to design textures to match certain dive speeds and maximize the wetsuit's dr...

Beaver-inspired wetsuits in the works

Rubbery hair-lined wetsuits may help keep surfers warm.

October 5, 2016

Partho Sengupta (center) was one of more than 30 invited guests at the Tata Center Symposium.

Tata Center Symposium seeks collaboration for a better world

October 4, 2016

These images, taken from a transmission electron microscope, show a perovskite material oscillating as it is exposed to water vapor and a beam of electrons.

Water vapor sets some oxides aflutter

Newly discovered phenomenon could affect materials in batteries and water-splitting devices.

October 3, 2016

Ocean engineers from MIT, the University of Minnesota at Duluth, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have accurately simulated the motion of internal tides along a shelf break called the Middle Atlantic Bight — a region off the coast of the eastern U.S. that stretches from Cape Cod in Massachusetts to Cape Hatteras in North Carolina.

Researchers find explanation for interacting giant, hidden ocean waves

Better simulations of internal tides may benefit sonar communications, protect offshore structures, and more.

September 28, 2016

MIT MechE staff members Emilie Heilig (left) and Yvette Lai (center) listen to Daniel Gonzalez's presentation on his Triple Scissor Extender at the annual Mechanical Engineering Research Exhibition (MERE).

Sharing the excitement of mechanical engineering research

Butterflies, Legos, and robotic insects — oh, my! MechE grad students showcase their latest projects.

September 23, 2016

“The way we measure street lighting is still very primitive,” says Sumeet Kumar PhD ’14. Kumar and his team came up with the idea of replacing manual inspections with a set of cameras and sensors mounted on top of a vehicle, in much the same way that Google uses vehicle-mounted camera systems to generate its street views.

Drive-by monitoring for urban streetlights

System developed at MIT could automate inspection for efficiency and maintenance issues.

September 16, 2016

Each year through the Siebel Scholars program, a formidable group brings together their diverse perspectives from business, science, and engineering to influence the technologies, policies, and economic and social decisions that shape the future.

Sixteen MIT grad students named Siebel Scholars for 2017

MIT graduate students from bioengineering, business, computer science, and energy fields are honored.

September 15, 2016

MIT has over 40 design/build/project spaces — and the MakerLodge program is designed to serve as an entry point into that thriving making community.

Basic training

New MakerLodge program ushers freshmen into the making community.

September 9, 2016

QS ranks MIT the world’s top university for 2016-17

Ranked No. 1 for the fifth straight year, the Institute also places first in 12 of 42 disciplines.

September 5, 2016

A new technique invented at MIT can precisely measure the growth of many individual cells simultaneously. “The device provides new insights into how cells grow and respond to drugs,” MIT professor Scott Manalis says.

Microchip enables fast, precise measurement of single-cell growth

Device that measures growth of many individual cells simultaneously could lead to rapid tests for antibiotics.