research – Mechanical Engineering

In the foreground, a large metal piece of equipment with many wires and sensors protruding. In the background, a man smiles while placing an object on the instrument.

First 3D look at ductility-boosting ‘twinning’ behavior in lightweight magnesium alloy
08/07/2025

Piecing together the lightweight alloy’s complex mechanical properties moves towards use in cars to extend fuel economy.

Two images of micro-mirror technologies. One shows a single thin-film piezoelectric micro-mirror assembled at the tip of a microendoscope. The other image shows the assembly of a microendoscope based on a scanning micro-mirror.

$6M to establish new National Center for Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering at U-M
07/30/2025

The center will focus on the development of microsystem-based optical imaging technologies with ME professors Kenn Oldham and Thomas Wang as principal investigators.

Figure 1: BESS Demonstration Rack with mobile gantry system carrying gas sensors to sample around the enclosure.

Research Team from University of Michigan Selected as Recipient of UL Research Institutes’ Inaugural Discoveries in Safety Science Grants Program
07/10/2025

A team of researchers from U-M was recently named a recipient of UL Research Institutes’ inaugural Discoveries in Safety Science Grants program, for work on a robotic gas sensing system for battery safety in energy storage systems.

$Pulse IVL™ uses high-frequency pulsatile pressure waves to fracture arterial calcium.$

ME alumnus Robert Chisena helps shape the future of cardiovascular disease treatment
06/26/2025

Robert Chisena graduated from U-M with his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 2019. Since then, he’s been helping to revolutionize the treatment of cardiovascular disease through Amplitude Vascular Systems (AVS), a start-up he co-founded during his time in ME.

Single grains of a scandium-zinc quasicrystal have 12 pentagonal faces.

First quantum-mechanical model of quasicrystals reveals why they exist
06/17/2025

Quasicrystals couldn’t be simulated with quantum mechanics because of their irregular atomic patterns. A new method overcomes this challenge.

Daniel Sousa Schulman, a U-M PhD student in mechanical engineering, sits in the PREACT chair, next to recent U-M PhD graduate and former Precision Systems Design Lab member Nishant Jalgaonkar. Photo: Brenda Ahearn, Michigan Engineering.

Motion sickness technology could alleviate symptoms for passengers in today’s cars, and tomorrow’s
06/03/2025

A new technology developed by U-M Mechanical Engineers offers hope for those who get carsick.

Mechanical engineering PhD student Ted Sender configures the physical MRZR vehicle platform, interfaced with a synthetic off-road environment in the Digital Engineering (DE) lab of the Automotive Research Center. A wraparound screen creates an immersive experience. This DE setup supports integrated autonomy and mobility testing in mission-relevant scenarios. Photo: Levi Hutmacher/Michigan Engineering

Off-road autonomy and digital twins: a Q&A with Bogdan Epureanu
05/08/2025

Going beyond driving or tele-operating single vehicles, an up-to-date digital environment is needed to help humans operate fleets of autonomous vehicles.

Yuefeng Jin, Ph.D candidate and a member of Bucsek Group works in Ashley Bucsek’s lab at the GG Brown building.

Synchrotron in a closet: Bringing powerful 3D X-ray microscopy to smaller labs
04/30/2025

A new design makes a technique for studying metals, ceramics and rocks available in a standard laboratory, expanding access for students, academic researchers and industry.

University of Michigan professor of Mechanical Engineering, Wei Lu, conducts research on batteries in a lab.

U-M researchers receive $3M to advance EV battery analysis, lowering cost and optimizing production
04/15/2025

U-M Mechanical Engineers received an ARPA-E award totaling nearly $3 million to develop an approach that combines physics-based modeling and machine learning to rapidly and accurately determine the state of health and remaining useful life of battery cells.

University of Michigan student plugs in an electric vehicle in snowy conditions on the University of Michigan North Campus.

U-M engineers addressing EV battery shortcomings in cold weather
04/02/2025

A modified manufacturing process for electric vehicle batteries, developed by University of Michigan engineers, could enable high ranges and fast charging in cold weather, solving problems that are turning potential EV buyers away.