Mechanical engineering

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Paige Balcom, Tomás Vega and Corten Singer, from left, Berkeley alums featured in the award-winning documentary “Pathways to Invention.”

UC Berkeley innovators featured in ‘Pathways to Invention’ film

04/26/24 — Special to debut in May on PBS stations and streaming apps

Ravi Prasher, adjunct professor of mechanical engineering and an affiliate faculty scientist at Berkeley Lab (left); Sayeef Salahuddin, the TSMC Distinguished Professor in the Department of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences and a faculty senior scientist at Berkeley Lab (right).

Ravi Prasher and Sayeef Salahuddin elected lifetime fellows of AAAS

04/18/24 — Honorees are among six UC Berkeley researchers recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements

A grey reef shark, Cairns Aquarium, Australia.

Bioinspired design reduces drag and noise production for towed sonar arrays

04/01/24 — Textured surface mimics shark skin to make underwater instruments more effective and environmentally friendly

Image of BB-8, a robot with a dome-shaped head and spherical body colored white with orange and silver geometric accents, seen in Star Wars films.

Researchers explore the phenomenon of holonomy

02/13/24 — New insights may advance motion and path planning for spherical robots

Headshots of Arpad Horvath, Ravi Prasher and Ion Stoica

Three UC Berkeley professors named to NAE

02/06/24 — The election of Arpad Horvath, Ravi Prasher and Ion Stoica to the National Academy of Engineering brings the number of engineering faculty members in the NAE to 75

Image showing a view of planet Earth and a comet from space.

Small solar sails could be the next ‘giant leap’ for interplanetary space exploration

01/10/24 — Researchers aim to create a fleet of low-cost, autonomous spacecraft propelled by light particles

Human-sized robot taught itself to walk and balance, then strolled Berkeley’s streets

12/19/23 — SFGATE: Berkeley researchers used billions of simulations and reinforcement learning to teach the robot how to move

Side-by-side photos of Ashok Gadgil (left), a distinguished professor emeritus of civil and environmental engineering, and Boris Rubinsky, a professor of bioengineering and mechanical engineering.

Two UC Berkeley engineers elected to the National Academy of Inventors

12/12/23 — Ashok Gadgil and Boris Rubinsky receive highest professional distinction awarded solely to inventors

‘Boys in the Boat’ movie — and unique campus class — spark pride in Cal’s rowing history

12/05/23 — Mechanical engineering professor Oliver O’Reilly’s seminar is a "Tour de Cal Rowing"

Transmission electron microscope (TEM) images of the new 2D nanosheet as a barrier coating that self-assembles on a variety of substrates. The TEM experiments were conducted at UC Berkeley’s Electron Microscope Laboratory.

Scaling up nano for sustainable manufacturing

11/08/23 — Berkeley Lab: Scientists, led by Berkeley engineer Ting Xu, have developed multipurpose, recyclable nanosheets for electronics, energy storage, and health and safety applications

Nanoengineered steel mesh with a special solar-powered coating

In a fog

11/06/23 — A new technique for fog harvesting could provide millions of people with access to safe drinking water.

A cool way to save coral

11/06/23 — Technology developed by Berkeley engineers has been used to cryopreserve and revive entire coral fragments.

Photo of a nanoscale 3D printing benchmarking model called a "3DBenchy" showcases how a new 3D printing technique enabled researchers to embed nitrogen vacancy centers in complex, microscale 3D structures.

Researchers demonstrate new 3D printing technique for quantum sensors

10/31/23 — Innovation may lead to novel applications in precision measurement, biological imaging and environmental monitoring

Image of soundproofing material under red and blue lighting.

Researchers develop new AI-based design method for metamaterials

10/10/23 — Innovative approach can create everyday products with novel mechanical properties

Image of Grace Gu with microchip in the background, along with an image depicting AI, University of California, and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory.

Grace Gu selected as inaugural recipient of the LLNL Early Career UC Faculty Initiative

10/02/23 — LLNL: Assistant professor of mechanical engineering to receive $1M as part of LLNL, University of California partnership for AI-driven additive manufacturing research

Bronze bust of mechanical engineer Joseph Thomas Gier in the Blum Hall courtyard

‘Shoulders to stand on’

09/22/23 — Daily Cal: Statue of Berkeley engineer Joseph Thomas Gier, UC system's first tenured Black professor, unveiled in Blum Hall courtyard

Berkeley engineers partner with Siemens Energy on $3.7M DOE project to explore direct air capture for carbon sequestration

09/07/23 — Nationwide project intends to advance research in climate change mitigation

Photo of various coral species living in the ocean.

Cryotechnology developed by Berkeley engineers unlocks new approach to coral preservation

08/23/23 — Smithsonian: Successfully cooling and thawing coral fragments key to global conservation milestone for vanishing coral reefs

Volunteer surveying homes destroyed by wildfire in Lahaina, Hawaii.

Why deadly fire risks are multiplying

08/21/23 — Washington Post: Large wildfires are happening more often because the hazards that trigger them — dry conditions, strong winds, plenty of stuff to burn — are becoming more common, says Michael Gollner, head of Berkeley's Fire Research Lab