Latest Mechanical Stories
Revealed: Smart car tech saves US drivers $6.2bn in fuel costs each yearDecember 11, 2018
In the first study to assess the energy impact of smart technology in cars, researchers have put a number on the potential fuel-cost savings alone: $6.2bn
Using electricity and water, a new kind of motor can slide microrobots into motionNovember 27, 2018
Microhydraulic actuators, thinner than one-third the width of human hair, are proving to be the most powerful and efficient motors at the microscale
Fleets of drones could aid searches for lost hikersNovember 13, 2018
System allows drones to co-operatively explore terrain under thick forest canopies where GPS signals are unreliable
Human fallibility and automation: Lessons of the Virgin Galactic crashOctober 30, 2018
Sean Brady explores how the lessons of the 2014 Virgin Galactic crash are pertinent to all design engineers, irrespective of discipline
What hovering animals can teach us about flying robotsOctober 30, 2018
To find out, Stanford engineers teamed up with ecologists in Costa Rica to meticulously record the flight of over 100 different bats and hummingbirds, writes Taylor Kubota
Study opens route to flexible electronics made from exotic materialsOctober 16, 2018
Cost-effective method produces semiconducting films from materials that outperform silicon
Engineering team designs technology for smart materialsOctober 2, 2018
With inspiration from squid ring teeth, a multidisciplinary team has invented a novel way to manufacture smart materials, including fabrics, that can regulate their own thermal properties
Robot cities: three urban prototypes for future livingSeptember 18, 2018
From hyper-robotised Tokyo to smartest Singapore and happy, crime-free Dubai, these three examples show that robots are perceived as means to achieve global futures based on a specific national imagination, writes Mateja Kovacic
15 engineers and their inventions that defined roboticsSeptember 4, 2018
Although the concept of the robot has been around since antiquity, it wasn't until the 20th century, and the work of these 15 engineers, that robotics really kicked into gear, writes Christopher McFadden
The heartbreaking story of the flying mathematicians of World War IAugust 7, 2018
Theirs is a tale of technical achievement, flexibility and ingenuity in the context of a new field of engineering, driven apace by the necessities and incentives of conflict, writes Tony Royle
‘The other Fergie’ — why tractor king Harry Ferguson is among Ireland’s best loved engineersJuly 24, 2018
A farmer, mechanic, car designer and aviator, he struck up a business partnership with Henry Ford and is most well known for creating the Massey Ferguson - a common byword for agricultural machinery and the humble tractor
Designing for cleanroomsJuly 24, 2018
Cleanrooms are delicate, therefore choosing components for use in cleanroom equipment shouldn't be taken lightly
‘Blind’ Cheetah 3 robot can climb stairs littered with obstaclesJuly 10, 2018
MIT robot can now leap and gallop across rough terrain, climb a staircase littered with debris, and quickly recover its balance when suddenly yanked or shoved - all while essentially blind - and may be used for exploring disaster zones
Personalised ‘deep learning’ equips robots for autism therapyJuly 10, 2018
Machine learning network offers personalised estimates of children's behaviour
Bridging the skills gap with automated engineeringJune 26, 2018
Martyn Williams examines Britain’s engineering skills shortage and explains how automated engineering can redefine the role of the manufacturing engineer and ultimately bridge the skills gap
Conquering Le Mans: Analysis of the engineering expertise within an LMP2 engineJune 26, 2018
In 2017, jaws dropped when an LMP2 car was placed second and third overall in the Le Mans 24-hour race. But, why was this a poignant moment for this engine type and why is this significant to the design and development of these race car engines?
Robot submarine discovers 300-year-old shipwreck with $17bn in treasureJune 12, 2018
After two years of keeping the discovery hidden, a team of researchers confirmed their autonomous robot discovered a 300-year-old shipwreck off the Colombian coast, writes Shelby Rogers
Mechanical engineering in the Middle Ages: The catapult, mechanical clocks and many more we never knew aboutJune 12, 2018
Mechanical engineering advancements didn't end with the fall of Rome in 476 AD. Engineers continued to labour, often in anonymity, throughout the Middle Ages, writes Christopher McFadden
SpaceX’s ‘Olympics of engineering’: Ireland’s Éirloop fast-track it to the finalMay 29, 2018
The students of Éirloop are rushing to build their 500km/h pod for the SpaceX Student Hyperloop Pod competition in California in July, writes James Harrington
The 13 engineers leading the way to the flying carMay 29, 2018
We've never been closer to making flying cars a reality - here are the engineers who are leading the charge