Going to extremes
05/01/19 — Researchers have developed a thermal regulator that improves the performance of lithium-ion batteries in extreme temperatures.
Mechanical engineering
New hydrogen fuel catalyst
05/01/19 — Engineers used gelatin to create a hydrogen fuel catalyst that works just as efficiently as platinum but at a much lower cost.
Squishy robots can drop from a helicopter and land safely
04/24/19 — New soccer-ball-shaped robots, created by engineers at Berkeley and Squishy Robotics, can fall hundreds of feet and be no worse for wear, or shape-shift in order to crawl from one point to another.
A robot that can be safely dropped out of a helicopter
04/18/19 Tech Crunch — Squishy Robotics, developed in part by mechanical engineering professor Alice Agogino, may someday help first responders assess a situation before they jump into it.
Grace Gu named a Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D scholar
04/09/19 — Mechanical engineering professor Grace Gu is one of six 2019 Johnson & Johnson WiSTEM2D scholars.
Mass-producing biomaterials
04/08/19 — Researchers have developed a device that allows living tissue, bone, blood vessels and even whole organs to be printed on demand.
UC campuses celebrate National Engineers Week
02/21/19 — In honor of National Engineers Week, University of California campuses are presenting snapshots of exemplary UC engineers, many of whom excelled despite formidable barriers and challenging backgrounds.
Modern technologies needed to prevent wildfires
01/23/19 Daily Californian — In an op-ed, mechanical engineering professor Tarek Zohdi writes about his new Fire Research Group's focus on actions needed to combat fire emergencies in both wildland and urban environments.
‘Ambidextrous’ robots could dramatically speed e-commerce
01/16/19 — In a new paper, Berkeley engineers build on 35 years of research with new algorithms that compute robust robot pick points, enabling robot grasping of a diverse range of products without training.
Jiggly Jell-O makes powerful new hydrogen fuel catalyst
12/13/18 — A cheap and effective gelatin-based catalyst, developed by mechanical engineering professor Liwei Lin and his Berkeley research team, can generate hydrogen fuel from water just as efficiently as platinum, the far more expensive current standard.
New group to explore engineering solutions for wildfires
11/16/18 Fung Institute — The newly formed Fire Research Group, led by mechanical engineering professor Tarek Zohdi, brings together scientists from UC Berkeley, the Space Sciences Lab and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory to find more effective engineering solutions for uncontrolled wildfires.
Origami electronics
11/14/18 — Scientists have fabricated electronic switches and sensors directly onto paper, where folding it can switch circuits on and off.
From waste heat to energy
11/14/18 — Researchers have developed a thin-film device that converts waste heat to energy, using pyroelectric energy conversion.
Better breast cancer screening
11/14/18 — Using microfluidic technology, researchers can distinguish cells that are central to breast cancer development.
Berkeley ingenuity keeps lithium-ion batteries at temps even Goldilocks would love
10/22/18 — Berkeley engineers have come up with a clever and inexpensive solution to automatically regulate the temperature of lithium-ion batteries. Their technology could expand the practical use of electric vehicles and consumer electronics in more extreme temperatures.
A tiny step into the final frontier
10/15/18 Medium — Six undergrad engineers are developing "SpinorSats" - each less than 10 grams, about the size of an Apple Watch - that they hope will be the smallest maneuverable satellites in space.
In Chang-Lin Tien, a leader to emulate
10/03/18 — Chancellor Carol Christ reflects back on the legacy of Chang-Lien Tien, her predecessor and mentor, professor of mechanical engineering, builder of community and "an extraordinary leader."
Ravi Prasher to lead energy technologies at Berkeley Lab
07/19/18 Berkeley Lab — Ravi Prasher, adjunct professor of mechanical engineering, has been promoted to associate laboratory director for energy technologies at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, where he previously headed the Energy Storage and Distributed Resources Division.
Alice Agogino wins top U.S. award for mentoring
06/27/18 — Mechanical engineering professor Alice Agogino has been named winner of the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring, the government's highest honor for mentors in STEM fields.
Berkeley engineers develop origami electronics using cheap, foldable paper
06/18/18 — Berkeley engineers have developed a new way to fabricate working electronics onto plain paper, opening the doors to new sensors, supercapacitors and other electronic devices that are cheap and foldable.