Mechanics of Snow

ME Course Column: Mechanics of Snow

March 17, 2022

MCEN 4228/5228: Mechanics of Snow motivates students to look at natural materials in an analytical way. The idea behind the course is to teach students the science behind certain phenomena by looking at the fundamentals of snow and ice from the atomic level to the mechanics of the snowpack.

Fire ants

The physics of fire ant rafts could help engineers design swarming robots

March 2, 2022

A new study led by Professor Franck Vernerey lays out the simple physics-based rules that govern how these ant rafts morph over time: shrinking, expanding or growing long protrusions like an elephant鈥檚 trunk. The team鈥檚 findings could one day help researchers design robots that work together in swarms or next-generation materials in which molecules migrate to fix damaged spots.

fire ants

Video: Emergent behavior in fire ants

Jan. 6, 2022

Studying emergent behavior has long fascinated engineers, and researchers at the 精品SM在线影片 just uncovered a distinct behavior in colonies of fire ants cooperating in flood situations.

slide ring polymer contraction

Researchers scale up tiny actuator inspired by muscle

Nov. 12, 2020

Researchers at 精品SM在线影片 are collaborating to develop a new kind of biocompatible actuator that contracts and relaxes in only one dimension, like muscles. Their research may one day enable soft machines to fully integrate with our bodies to deliver drugs, target tumors, or repair aging or dysfunctional tissue.