Haran and Saif elected to the National Academy of Engineering

Kiruba Haran, who is a professor of electrical and computer engineering and the Grainger Endowed Director’s Chair in Electric Machinery and Electromechanics, and Taher Saif, the Edward William and Jane Marr Gutgsell Professor in mechanical science and engineering, were elected to the National Academy of Engineering

450-million-year-old organism finds new life in Softbotics

Researchers in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University, in collaboration with paleontologists from Spain and Poland, used fossil evidence to engineer a soft robotic replica of pleurocystitid, a marine organism that existed nearly 450 million years ago and is believed to be one of the first echinoderms capable of movement using a muscular stem.

Soft, living materials made with algae glow under stress

Researchers have developed soft yet durable 3D-printed materials that glow in response to mechanical stress, such as compression, stretching or twisting. The materials derive their luminescence from single-celled algae known as dinoflagellates, which are embedded within the materials. The work was inspired by the bioluminescent waves caused by dinoflagellates during red tide events at San Diego’s beaches.

Virtual drug quiets noise in heart tissue images

Researchers at Washington University in St. Louis have developed a new computational approach to removing movement in images of expanding and contracting heart cells and tissues. By computationally removing movement, the algorithm mimics a drug’s action in stopping the heart, without compromising cellular structure or tissue contractility.

Psychology graduate explores human preferences when considering autonomous robots as companions, teammates

With the fierce debate broiling over the promise versus perceived dangers of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and autonomous robots, Nicole Moore of the University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) has had a study published in the American Society for Engineering Management (ASEM) that is especially timely.Titled, Stakeholder Preferences for an Autonomous Robot Teammate, Moore’s research focuses on user-held preferences: specifically, which factors in autonomous robot design are the most preferable to their human counterparts, and whether these criteria vary according to the ways the technology is applied.

Informed by mechanics and computation, flexible bioelectronics can better conform to a curvy body

Today, foldable phones are ubiquitous. Now, using models that predict how well a flexible electronic device will conform to spherical surfaces, University of Wisconsin–Madison and University of Texas at Austin engineers could usher in a new era in which these bendy devices can integrate seamlessly with parts of the human body.

UAH alumnus Michael Wicks inducted into Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame

Michael Wicks (MSE, Mechanical Engineering, ’94), is one of six honorees inducted in this year’s Alabama Engineering Hall of Fame on Feb. 25 at the Renaissance Montgomery Hotel and Spa. Wicks’ career has been devoted to providing innovative engineering and technical services to the nation’s defense, both as a United States Army civilian and as a private contractor for the Department of Defense.

UAH researcher seeks to explain why lithium-ion batteries abruptly fail; earns $598K NSF CAREER Award

Research focused on why and how lithium-ion batteries may suddenly fail energetically, causing smoke, fire or even an explosion, a phenomenon called thermal runaway, has earned a researcher at The University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award totaling $598,181.

Chula’s Engineering Develops Dynamic Prosthetic Feet with International Standards and 5 Times Less the Cost

Thailand now has 39,647 people with disabilities, over 95% of whom are using poor-quality prosthetic feet which are heavy and do not have ankles. This can adversely affect the way they walk, as well as their lives.

Argonne announces 2022 Postdoctoral Performance Awards

Nine postdoctoral appointees were recognized with Postdoctoral Performance Awards.

A year in review: Argonne’s breakthroughs in 2022

Argonne researchers put their stamp on 2022 with accomplishments as varied as quantum science, wearable medical sensors, and climate change resilience and recovery.

The TuFF Age

TuFF — Tailored Universal Feedstock for Forming — is a strong, highly aligned, short-fiber composite material that can be made from many fiber and resin combinations. Created at the University of Delaware’s Center for Composite Materials (CCM), it can be stamped into complex shapes, just like sheet metal, and features high-performance and stretchability up to 40%.

What will it cost to cut the carbon footprint of cars sold in the U.S?

Argonne worked with automakers and energy companies to conduct a cradle-to-grave analysis of light-duty vehicles, which estimated the current and potential future costs and greenhouse gas emissions for vehicles over the entire course of their life cycle.

New study shows spiders use webs to extend their hearing

A newly published study of orb-weaving spiders — has yielded some extraordinary results: The spiders are using their webs as extended auditory arrays to capture sounds, possibly giving spiders advanced warning of incoming prey or predators.

How do we remove greenhouse gases from the air?

Mechanical engineer Jennifer Wade is leading two federally funded projects that are addressing the critical question of how to remove greenhouse gases from the atmosphere, thus slowing the devastating effects of global climate change. It’s part of a national effort called the Carbon Negative Earthshot: Being able to remove carbon at $100 a ton at a scale of a million tons per year. That’s a difficult task, Wade says, but it’s not an insurmountable one.

Underwater glove puts octopus’ abilities on the hand of humans

Humans aren’t naturally equipped to thrive underwater. There are critical times when this becomes a liability. Rescue divers, underwater archeologists, bridge engineers, and salvage crews all use their hands to extract people and objects from water, and some of those removals suffer damage if subjected to an iron grip. Researchers at Virginia Tech working to solve this problem have developed an octopus-inspired glove capable of securely gripping objects underwater. They call it: Octa-glove.

Tabletop Magnetic Resonance Units to Revolutionize Diagnostics and Materials Analysis

In the HyPERiON CRC coordinated by the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), researchers from KIT and the universities of Kaiserslautern, Konstanz and Stuttgart are jointly developing technology for compact high-performance magnetic resonance units. In the future, the devices could be used in the chemical and pharmaceutical industries, in medical practices or at border checkpoints. The German Research Foundation is funding the interdisciplinary group with more than 10.6 million euros for four years starting on July 1, 2022.

$2.3 million NIH grant to fund research on ’smart’ knee replacements

A researcher at Binghamton University, State University of New York has received a five-year, $2,326,521 grant from the National Institutes of Health’s National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases to further her research into smart knee replacements.

New research may revise a theory of reacting flow

The research team of Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology (TUAT) for the first time clearly demonstrates that the effect on the flow reverses according to the degree of change in the properties due to the reaction in a reacting flow with production of viscoelastic material, through experiments involving high-precision rheological measurements and a newly proposed theory.

UW to lead new NSF institute for using artificial intelligence to understand dynamic systems

The University of Washington will lead a new artificial intelligence research institute that will focus on fundamental AI and machine learning theory, algorithms and applications for real-time learning and control of complex dynamic systems, which describe chaotic situations where conditions are constantly shifting and hard to predict.

NTU Singapore scientists develop tougher, safer bicycle helmets using new plastic material

As cities worldwide expand their networks of cycling paths and more cyclists take to the streets, the chances of cycling accidents and potential collisions increase as well, underscoring the need for proper cycling safety in dense urban areas. According to…