Mechanical Engineering
-
‘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
-
Student rocketeers earn second place in NASA contest
For ten straight years, Vanderbilt has soared to success with innovative rocket designs and payloads, and this year is no exception. Read MoreMay 16, 2017
-
Thistle Farms turns to the Wond’ry for wrist-saving, wick-installing device
Nashville nonprofit Thistle Farms teams up with The Wond'ry to design a custom wick-setting tool for eco-friendly wooden wicks. Read MoreMay 8, 2017
-
Vanderbilt joins 40 academic partners to create, deploy robotic technology in critical manufacturing sectors
The Advanced Robotics Manufacturing Innovation Hub will promote robotics in small and medium enterprises and in critical manufacturing sectors like aerospace, automotive, electronics and textiles. Read MoreApr 25, 2017
-
New AAU energy research webpage features VU research
Vanderbilt researchers who “MacGyvered” high-performance batteries from junkyard scraps are featured in a new webpage on energy research created by the Association of American Universities. Read MoreFeb 7, 2017
-
Research that ruled in 2016: Readers’ favorite stories
Artificial kidneys, gay-straight alliances and junkyard batteries captured readers' attention in 2016. Read MoreDec 16, 2016
-
Weird Science: Kit Parker’s breakthrough work on artificial hearts and brain injuries
Expect the unexpected when you walk into Kit Parker’s biophysics lab at Harvard. From cuttlefish skin camouflage to cotton candy machines used for wound dressings, his science is anything but ordinary. In fact, the young scientists inside are just as likely to be playing with crayons to visualize solutions… Read MoreDec 5, 2016
-
Making high-performance batteries from junkyard scraps
Vanderbilt researchers have discovered how to make high-performance batteries using scraps of metal from the junkyard and household chemicals. Read MoreNov 2, 2016
-
VU Inside: Giving surgical robots a human touch
Bioengineer Nabil Simaan is taking robotic surgical tools to the next level by making them incredibly flexible and situationally aware. Read MoreOct 28, 2016
-
No Vanderbilt Robotics team? Six sophomores step up, invite all majors
Starting in spring 2017, following a semester of skill-building workshops, Vanderbilt Robotics will be looking to compete. More than 50 students from across the campus and virtually every undergraduate school and college have signed up as members through the Anchor Link student organizations site. Read MoreOct 13, 2016