Mechanical Engineering

Wearables take ‘logical’ step toward onboard control

Rice University engineers design fluidic logic into garments to help people with functional limitations perform tasks without electronic assistance.

Powering an ‘arm’ with air could be mighty handy

Rice University mechanical engineers develop a textile-based energy harvesting shoe able to power assistive devices for people with disabilities.

Biomedical, data science training wins new grant

The Rice University NLM Training Program in Biomedical Informatics and Data Science wins a $4.16 million National Library of Medicine grant.

Rice, NASA extend Space Act Agreement

Rice and NASA extend their pact to share research and outreach through a Space Act Agreement.

Record 17 Rice University graduate students named GEM Fellows

A record 17 graduate students at Rice University have been named 2022 Fellows of the National Graduate Education for Minorities Consortium.

People, papers and presentations for Aug. 15, 2022

A paper co-authored by postdoctoral research associate Mohammad Salehi and President Reginald DesRoches, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and of mechanical engineering, was selected as the featured article for a recent volume of the journal Engineering Structures.

Smalley-Curl Institute rewards students’ summer research

The Smalley-Curl Institute held its annual Summer Research Colloquium Aug. 5.

Water can’t touch this sanded, powdered surface

Rice scientists and engineers develop a one-step method involving sandpaper and powder to make robust superhydrophobic materials.

Rice engineers get a grip with ‘necrobotic’ spiders

Rice University engineers find they can manipulate the legs of dead spiders to serve as grippers.

Rice OEDK team creates new feeding device for Houston Zoo’s red river hogs

Just steps away from Rice University, you can meet Neptune, Luna, Vidalia, Artemis and Ophelia, the Houston Zoo’s resident red river hogs.

Sophisticated fluid mechanics model is on a roll

Engineers at Rice and Waseda universities produce a video simulation to illustrate the complex aerodynamics around a moving car and its tires.

Daniel Preston wins NSF CAREER Award

Daniel Preston wins a National Science Foundation CAREER Award to develop textile-based wearable robots.

Rice U. students develop sleek, hands-free electric longboard that accelerates, brakes as riders shift weight

Inventing a hands-free electric longboard was a passion project for the graduating Rice seniors on Team “Breadboard,” all avid longboarders and skateboarders. But rolling out of this year’s George R. Brown Engineering Design Showcase with the top prize was a welcome reward for all the long nights and bumps in the road the team worked through along the way.

Rice U. students reverse engineer drug-smuggling drone for US Coast Guard

An award-winning team of Rice University engineering students that includes three Rice football players has reverse engineered a robotic drug-smuggling semi-submersible to help the U.S. Coast Guard fight foreign drug cartels.

Faculty recognized with award for superior teaching

Nine faculty received the 2022 George R. Brown Award for Superior Teaching, which honors top Rice instructors by votes from alumni who graduated within the past two, three and five years.