Research
Avalanche risk may be rising around the world, and as temperature patterns change, they may be more difficult to predict. Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend uses a technique in her lab called photoelasticity to study small-scale avalanches. In this article published by The Conversation, she explains what causes these innocent-looking snow slopes to collapse, and gives tips to help skiers survive if they encounter one.
Research Professor Jacob Segil is also the CEO of Boulder startup Afference. The company traveled to Las Vegas for this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to showcase what's being called "the new frontier" of spatial computing: a neural haptic ring that allows users to feel something even when touching nothing.
Associate Professor Chunmei Ban and her research team are exploring the use of sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-based energy storage. Sodium is widely distributed in the Earth's crust and is an appealing candidate to remedy concerns over resource scarcity with lithium-ion batteries.
Robert Wilson (PhDMechEngr'20), a senior researcher and project manager at the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, has been selected by NASA to participate in the last simulated mission to Mars in 2024. NASA scientists use these simulated missions to study the effects of deep space on human health.
In a study conducted by Assistant Teaching Professor James Harper and his consultation company Realize Research, LLC, it was found that regions where heavy storms and floods are more prevalent cause households in those areas to stop using and maintaining their toilets. Toilet dysfunction is a huge source of pollution, can increase the burden on water treatment systems and is a major risk of human health.
Paula Pérez (MechEngr'22; MCivEngr'23) is a Wind Energy Analyst and Equity Researcher for the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) who has used engineering to help local communities across the globe find sustainable solutions to water and energy challenges.
The Paul M. Ray Department of Mechanical Engineering has launched a new research area in design. The new focus area, geared toward PhD students, involves the study of the design process and how various contexts (environmental, psychological, political, etc.) affect the artifacts that today’s engineers aim to create.
Olivia Felton is a PhD student in the Welker Lab at the University of Colorado Boulder. Their main focus: to use assistive technology to help both able-bodied individuals and those with disabilities.
One thousand feet underground, a four-legged creature scavenges through tunnels in pitch darkness. With vision that cuts through the blackness, it explores a spider web of paths, remembering its every step and navigating with precision. The sound of
Mechanical engineering's Greg Rieker is part of the team developing a system of optical underwater sensors utilizing broadband lasers and Raman spectroscopy to sense and measure dissolved carbon compounds, with the goal of advancing marine carbon dioxide removal (mCDR) techniques.