To design better water filters, MIT engineers look to manta rays
New research shows the filter-feeders strike a natural balance between permeability and selectivity that could inform design of water treatment systems.
Engineering and matters of the heart
Professor Ellen Roche is creating the next generation of medical devices to help repair hearts, lungs, and other tissues.
Detachable cardiac pacing lead may improve safety for cardiac patients
The minimally invasive, 3d-printable device offers safer application and removal, along with improved bioelectronic performance.
Robotic “SuperLimbs” could help moonwalkers recover from falls
A new MIT system could help astronauts conserve energy and extend missions on the lunar surface.
MIT engineers design flexible “skeletons” for soft, muscle-powered robots
New modular, spring-like devices maximize the work of live muscle fibers so they can be harnessed to power biohybrid bots.
MIT engineers design a robotic replica of the heart’s right chamber
The realistic model could aid the development of better heart implants and shed light on understudied heart disorders.
Coloring outside the lines
Mathias Kolle’s color-changing materials take inspiration from butterflies and mollusks.
Crystan McLymore SM ’23: Exceling at sea and in the lab
US Navy officer and recent MechE alumna who served on a nuclear aircraft carrier researches radiation detection.
Bioinspired robotics class offers intriguing surprises
Students learn about the complexity behind simple, everyday movement before experimenting with mechanical models.
Speedy robo-gripper reflexively organizes cluttered spaces
Rather than start from scratch after a failed attempt, the pick-and-place robot adapts in the moment to get a better hold.
Nelson Yuan-sheng Kiang, influential researcher in human hearing science, dies at 93
He conducted groundbreaking research into auditory physiology at MIT and Harvard Medical School, and was the founding director of the Eaton-Peabody Laboratories at Mass Eye and Ear.
Custom, 3D-printed heart replicas look and pump just like the real thing
The soft robotic models are patient-specific and could help clinicians zero in on the best implant for an individual.
A global lab for teaching and practicing synthetic biology
A pandemic-fueled transformation of the MIT course MAS.S64 (How to Grow (Almost) Anything) leads to next steps in democratizing synthetic biology.
Smart textiles sense how their users are moving
Researchers develop a comfortable, form-fitting fabric that recognizes its wearer’s activities, like walking, running, and jumping.
Exploring growth within a confined space
Embedding bacteria in soft material tests researchers’ theories.