mechanical and aerospace engineering

six still images show how a strip of material moves in response to changing temperatures

Dec 13, 2021

Technique Speeds Up Thermal Actuation for Soft Robotics

A new design for thermal actuators allows rapid movement in soft robotic devices.

Nov 29, 2021

Erik Dixon Named to Board of Trustees

An alumnus of the College of Engineering who is helping connect rural areas of North Carolina is the newest member of NC State's governing board.

A person holds two small blocks of steel metal foam.

Nov 3, 2021

Composite Metal Foam on Its Way to Influencing Market

Afsaneh Rabiei's composite metal foam can be used in numerous industries, and it has the potential to save lives.

computer-generated image of what the inside of St. Paul's Cathedral would have looked like in 1622, looking up from the floor toward the vaulted ceiling in the cathedral's tower

Oct 5, 2021

Recreating the Sights and Sounds of 17th Century London

The project helps us place the art, literature and history of the period into context.

photo shows four different structures: a rectangle made up of many small cubes, which can turn into two different complex structures, one of which can turn into a large structure with cubes joined at the corners, with gaps between them.

Sep 8, 2021

Inspired by Metamorphosis, Researchers Create Materials For Shape-Shifting Architecture

The researchers envision applications ranging from construction to robotics.

various shapes of metamaterial building blocks lie in front of a much larger structure made from similar blocks

Aug 9, 2021

Researchers Design Three-Dimensional Kirigami Building Blocks to Make Dynamic Metamaterials

Because the design approach is modular, these structures are easy to both assemble and disassemble.

Jul 29, 2021

Chancellor’s Innovation Fund Catalyzes 6 Promising Projects

This year’s Chancellor's Innovation Fund projects could reshape medicine, immunotherapies, consumer packaging, stealth jets and solar-energy cells.

diagram shows how the new process recycles nanowires

Jul 26, 2021

Researchers Demonstrate Technique for Recycling Nanowires in Electronics

The work is a step toward more sustainable electronics.

A B-2 Spirit (stealth) bomber is silhouetted against the clouds.

May 18, 2021

How a Tougher Skin Could Change the Shape of Stealth Aircraft

A new material promises to make stealth aircraft even stealthier.

human hand and robotic hand touching via a liquid surface

Apr 29, 2021

New Law of Physics Helps Humans and Robots Grasp the Friction of Touch

The law governs friction that occurs when two solid surfaces come into contact with a thin layer of fluid between them.

NC State Belltower lit from below with red lighting.

Apr 22, 2021

Students Win Prestigious Goldwater Scholarships

Two NC State students have been awarded Goldwater Scholarships, joining the ranks of the brightest undergraduate researchers in the nation.

Goldwater Scholar Andrew Mistele in front of an airplane near the Engineering buildings on Centennial Campus

Apr 21, 2021

Winging His Way to Success

Andrew Mistele, an aerospace engineering student — and now Goldwater Scholar — is conducting research that could lead to improvements in fields such as energy efficiency and drone design.

Mar 17, 2021

Study Finds Plants Would Grow Well in Solar Cell Greenhouses

You can definitely grow plants (and make electricity) in a greenhouse made of see-through solar panels.

Diagram of the nanodroplet and ultrasound drill at work.

Jan 7, 2021

Nanodroplets and Ultrasound ‘Drills’ Prove Effective at Tackling Tough Blood Clots

The new technique was designed to break up particularly tough blood clots.

healthcare workers use ultrasound connected to a smartphone in an emergency room

Nov 30, 2020

Ultrasound and the Future of Medical Imaging

How, and why, ultrasound may become a key tool for lung health.