Mechanical Engineering
-
Safe solid-state lithium batteries herald ‘paradigm shift’ in energy storage
Kelsey Hatzell studied the performance of a promising electrolyte for solid-state lithium batteries under real-world conditions. Read MoreJul 19, 2018
-
Mechanical engineering student dives into conservation with Seychelles internship
Rising junior Jillian Bremner is steering beyond her academic focus this summer to explore her passions for scuba diving and ocean conservation, with the aim of eventually combining engineering with a marine career. Read MoreJul 11, 2018
-
“These could revolutionize the world” — Pint cracks code to cheap, small carbon nanotubes
Imagine a box you plug into the wall that cleans your toxic air and pays you cash. That's essentially what Vanderbilt University researchers produced after discovering the blueprint for turning carbon dioxide into the most valuable material ever sold – carbon nanotubes with small diameters. Read MoreMay 23, 2018
-
Vanderbilt wins NASA rocketry championship for fifth time
The Vanderbilt Student Launch team won the NASA University Student Launch Competition for an unprecedented fifth time—following up on their eighth Payload Design Award—the space agency announced Friday. Read MoreMay 11, 2018
-
Getting robotic surgical tools from the lab to the operating room
Nabil Simaan’s Advanced Robotics and Mechanism Applications Laboratory at Vanderbilt leads the way in advancing several robotics technologies for medical use, including miniature robots for single small-incision, cochlear implant and minimally invasive throat surgeries. Read MoreMay 8, 2018
-
Class of 2018: Josh Fleck is giving greater mobility to people with disabilities
As a high school student, Josh Fleck knew he wanted to research and develop robotic prosthetic devices. At Vanderbilt, the mechanical engineering major has spent the past three years in Assistant Professor Karl Zelik’s Biomechanics and Assistive Technology Lab immersing himself in research. Read MoreMay 7, 2018
-
Class of 2018: Elizabeth Lee explores identity through an original web comic
Elizabeth Lee identifies as many things. She’s a mechanical engineering major, a proud Asian American, and a woman working in the STEM fields. To give a clearer voice to these identities, Lee created a web comic called “Existing Quietly, Living Loudly.” Read MoreApr 18, 2018
-
Rocket team’s novel two-part design addresses NASA challenge; launch is April 7
Engineering students in the Vanderbilt Aerospace Design Laboratory will demonstrate their solution to a common rocket dilemma at the 2018 NASA Student Launch Competition on April 7. Read MoreMar 29, 2018
-
Design competition aims to assist laryngectomy patients
The first annual LaryHacks, a competition to design innovative devices, apps or methods to assist laryngectomy patients who have had their voice boxes removed, has been set for Thursday, April 12, 5 to 8 p.m., in the Wond’ry, 2414 Highland Ave. in the Vanderbilt University Engineering and Science building. Read MoreMar 29, 2018
-
‘Smart cane’ could one day help flag gait problems, falling risks more quickly
Falling is no joke when you're a senior citizen or have other balance issues. Vanderbilt engineers are working on a 'smart cane' that could help physical therapists spot and treat problems sooner. Read MoreFeb 12, 2018
-
The 20 most popular research stories of 2017
New clues to Alzheimer's disease, helping kids deal with stress, understanding why our universe is three-dimensional and—of course—electric eels all appear in this year's look back on the research stories that were visited the most frequently on Vanderbilt's website in 2017. Read MoreDec 15, 2017
-
Hyperlens crystal capable of viewing living cells in unprecedented detail
A fundamental advance in the quality of an optical material used to make hyperlenses makes it possible to see features on the surface of living cells in greater detail than ever before. Read MoreDec 11, 2017
-
Meet Vanderbilt’s first Academic Pathways fellows
Seven outstanding Ph.D.’s with diverse backgrounds and experiences have come to Vanderbilt to pursue postdoctoral training with an eye toward academic careers. Read MoreOct 27, 2017
-
Team to develop steerable robotic needle for biopsies
Collaboration between a mechanical engineer at Vanderbilt University and a pulmonologist at Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VUMC) has resulted in a National Institutes of Health (NIH) R01 grant that will be used to develop a steerable robotic needle to safely biopsy hard-to-reach lung nodules. Read MoreOct 26, 2017
-
Smart underwear prevents back stress with just a tap
"Performance-boosting super suit" hidden under clothing can be activated by a double tap to save users' backs. Read MoreAug 1, 2017
-
Ultrathin device harvests electricity from human motion
A new energy harvesting system developed at Vanderbilt University can generate electrical current from the full range of human motions and is thin enough to embed in clothing. Read MoreJul 21, 2017
-
Retired mechanical engineering professor, sailing team coach remembered for patience with students
Johnny Hall Dunlap, a Vanderbilt University alumnus and professor emeritus of mechanical engineering known for his devotion to students, died June 17 in Nashville. He was 85. Read MoreJun 28, 2017
-
Cotton candy capillaries lead to circuit boards that dissolve when cooled
Leon Bellan made a dissolving circuit board that, so far, just turns on an LED light. Its potential applications are far more promising. Read MoreJun 26, 2017
-
How six cups of ground coffee can improve nose, throat surgery
Vanderbilt engineers have designed a “granular jamming cap” filled with coffee grounds that can improve the accuracy of the sophisticated “GPS” system that surgeons use for nose and throat surgery. Read MoreJun 20, 2017
-
Novel nanotube approach earns grad student coveted spot in ORNL innovation program
An interdisciplinary materials science graduate student has been selected for a prestigious entrepreneurship program at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to scale and commercialize a revolutionary method of carbon nanotube production. Read MoreMay 22, 2017