Mechanical engineering

Clockwise from top left: Shreya Dave, Carolena Ruprecht, Michael Birk, and Mohammed Alsobay

Energy grads launch careers in research, engineering, and analysis

June 8, 2016

As an undergraduate at MIT, Ned Burnell began thinking about the entire process of making products, and all of the decisions that lead to designing products in a particular way. This is what motivated him to pursue mechanical engineering.

Using engineering savvy to improve product designs

From windmills to software, graduate student Ned Burnell creates better tools.

June 8, 2016

Cara Lai, MIT Class of 2016, is double-majoring in literature and mechanical engineering.

Powered by literature on her way toward an MD

Senior Cara Lai cites MIT Literature studies as key to her preparation for medical practice.

June 1, 2016

MIT mechanical engineering student Marie Elimbi Moudio

Finding wonderland

Senior Marie Elimbi Moudio enters a “weird place” and discovers a world of possibility.

May 27, 2016

A new concept for a flow battery functions like an old hourglass or egg timer, with particles (in this case carried as a slurry) flowing through a narrow opening from one tank to another. The flow can then be reversed by turning the device over.

New concept turns battery technology upside-down

Pump-free design for flow battery could offer advantages in cost and simplicity.

May 25, 2016

While all research in traditional photovoltaics faces the same underlying theoretical limitations, MIT PhD student David Bierman says, “with solar thermal photovoltaics you have the possibility to exceed that.”

Hot new solar cell

System converts solar heat into usable light, increasing device’s overall efficiency.

May 23, 2016

Lockheed Martin CTO Keoki Jackson '89, SM '92, ScD '97 (center, left) and MIT AeroAstro department head Jaime Peraire congratulate each other after signing a research collaboration agreement between the two organizations. Initial research will focus on robotics and autonomous systems.

MIT, Lockheed Martin launch long-term research collaboration

Initial focus will be on transformative technologies, autonomy, and robotics.

May 16, 2016

Senior Frances Lenahan uses a drop tower to measure the impact-absorbing properties of materials like those in a bicycle helmet (seen here).

Making it real

Two new programs, MakerBucks and MakerLodge, for MIT freshmen will provide training, funds, and community for makers.

May 12, 2016

Since 2013, John Hart (standing, center) has been teaching the MIT graduate course 2.S998 (Additive Manufacturing), which explores the fundamentals of 3-D printing.

3-D Printing 101

As MIT course challenges students to reinvent 3-D printing, professor aims to share approach with others.

May 11, 2016

Top row (l-r): Mark Bathe, Sangbae Kim, and Paola Cappellaro. Second row (l-r): Armando Solar-Lezama, Steven Barrett, Jesse Kroll, and Youssef Marzouk.

The tenured engineers of 2016

Seven appointments are made in the School of Engineering.

May 10, 2016

Instructors modeled the competition’s obstacle course after major landmarks from the American Revolution, including replicas of Boston’s North Church, Concord’s Old North Bridge, and the “H.M.S. Beaver.”

2.007 robots battle it out, revolutionary-style

Motors smoking, robot reenacted Paul Revere’s ride to win competition.

May 6, 2016

Students have fun developing new toys in the MIT undergraduate class 2.00B (Toy Product Design).

Intriguing toy prototypes to be revealed at 2.00B PLAYsentations

Students will give PLAYsentations, open to the public, on Tuesday, May 10.

May 5, 2016

MIT Energy Initiative awards nine seed fund grants for early-stage energy research

Winning teams will use grants to advance research in areas including fuel cells, solar-powered desalination, and impacts of electric vehicle charging on the power grid.

April 25, 2016

Jean Sack demonstrates the aluminum-water reaction utilized by her Beaver Works team. The pellets she is reacting with water are made from aluminum alloyed with metals from group 13 in the periodic table.

Beaver Works collaboration brings new talent to Lincoln Laboratory

April 20, 2016

The goal of MIT's "Duckiebot" class was to create a fleet of 50 self-driving taxis that can navigate the roads of a model city with just a single on-board camera and no pre-programmed maps.

Self-driving cars, meet rubber duckies

“Duckietown” class at Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab teaches autonomy, aims to become global research platform.