Mechanical engineering

Nighttime image of New York City, with the red showing a large population density. “The adoption potential of electric vehicles is remarkably similar across cities, from dense urban areas like New York, to sprawling cities like Houston. This goes against the view that electric vehicles — at least affordable ones, which have limited range — only really work in dense urban centers,” says Jes...

Can today’s EVs make a dent in climate change?

Electric vehicles can meet drivers’ needs enough to replace nearly 90 percent of vehicles now on the road.

August 15, 2016

Membrane structures in plant xylem from different species are being investigated for use in water filtration.

J-WAFS Solutions program awards $750,000 in commercialization grants

Four new projects and one renewal receive $150,000 in funding for 2016-2017.

August 12, 2016

Researchers designed and tested several types of optical sensors that could be placed at the tip of an epidural needle and determined that the best is one that relies on Raman spectroscopy. This technique, which uses light to measure energy shifts in molecular vibrations, offers detailed information about the chemical composition of tissue.

Needles that hit the right mark

New sensor could help anesthesiologists place needles for epidurals and other medical procedures.

August 11, 2016

The Jolt Sensor, a wearable sensor for athletes, detects and gathers data on head impacts in real time.

When to get your head out of the game

Wearable sensor for athletes detects potential head injuries, gathers data on hard hits.

August 11, 2016

Pison Technology team members (left to right) Bobby Forster, Dexter Ang, David Cipoletta, and Wenxin Feng are developing assistive technology for people with ALS.

Fighting ALS with mind, hand, and heart

With support from the MIT Sandbox Innovation Fund Program, an MIT spinoff is creating assistive technology for people with ALS.

July 29, 2016

In 2012, a team of students in MIT’s well-known product-design class, Course 2.009, invented a hand truck with fold-out treads and a braking system that made hauling kegs downstairs safer and easier. Now that hand truck, called the Glyde, is being used by hundreds of people worldwide.

Gliding from classroom to market

Treaded hand truck created as class project is now making downstairs deliveries safer.

July 28, 2016

Professor Dan Frey of the Department of Mechanical Engineering is the new faculty director of D-Lab.

Dan Frey named D-Lab faculty director

Professor of mechanical engineering brings a long association with D-Lab and a commitment to design for the developing world.

July 27, 2016

A woman and her son, who live in Chellur, India, walk home with the reverse-osmosis-treated water she bought at Chellur’s community desalination plant.

The quest for clean water

MIT researchers design a solar-powered desalination device for rural India.

July 18, 2016

A volunteer from Lincoln Laboratory helps students program Instagram-style filters.

Girls Who Build Cameras workshop sparks future engineers

High school girls learn to construct cameras and program image filters at Lincoln Laboratory event.

July 12, 2016

Professional rider and founder of Mirai EV of Japan Yosihiro Kishimoto rides the electric bike designed by the KOMMIT Electric Vehicle Team.

Team led by MIT engineers places second at Pikes Peak International Hill Climb

Motorcycle completes 12.5 miles, 156 turns for a second-place finish in the race's Electric Bike Division.

July 11, 2016

To use the Nima sensor, a new device that can detect gluten, diners put a pea-sized sample of food or liquid into a disposable capsule, and insert the capsule into the device, which mixes the food into a solution that detects gluten. In two to three minutes, a digital display appears on the sensor, indicating if the food sample does or doesn’t contain gluten.

Is your meal really gluten free?

Portable sensor detects trace amounts of gluten in food at restaurants.

July 6, 2016

A photo of three microfluidic devices filled with food color dyes. The device, about the size of a credit card, is designed to help scientists narrow in on safe ranges of electric fields that might be used to noninvasively treat breast, lung, and other forms of cancer.

New microfluidic device offers means for studying electric field cancer therapy

Low-intensity fields keep malignant cells from spreading, while preserving healthy cells.

July 5, 2016

These fluorescent gels were synthesized by mixing a polymer (polyethylene glycol) and a ligand (terpyridine) with two lanthanides — europium and terbium — in varying ratios.

The promise of fluorescent polymer gels

Color-changing materials could be used to detect structural failure in energy-related equipment.

July 1, 2016

“It’s okay if it breaks and blows up”

MIT’s thriving maker culture is on display in ABC network’s “BattleBots” competition.

June 30, 2016

Engineers at MIT have devised a method to bind two stretchy materials: gelatin-like polymer materials called hydrogels, and elastomers, which are impervious to water and can thus seal in the hydrogel’s water.

Tough new hydrogel hybrid doesn’t dry out

Water-based material could be used to make artificial skin, longer-lasting contact lenses.

June 27, 2016

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