What is Mechanical Engineering?

Mechanical engineering is a rich and versatile profession that encompasses invention, analysis, and manufacture of mechanical components and systems. Broadly speaking, mechanical engineering is the branch of engineering that encompasses the generation and application of heat and mechanical power. In other words, mechanical engineering is all about the analysis, design and manufacturing of systems in motion. It spans both mature well-established industries such as automotive, aerospace, shipping, power, heating and cooling and machinery and new and emerging technologies such as robotics, medical devices, micro and nano devices. Some of the most exciting areas in mechanical engineering occur where it interfaces with other disciplines.

In addition to the traditional disciplines of heat transfer, fluid dynamics, dynamics and controls, materials processing, manufacturing, mechanics, and mechanical design, the Department of Mechanical Engineering is focused in three integrated areas of specialization.

Biomechanical Systems

Tufts University has a renowned medical school and a world class biomedical engineering program. In the Mechanical Engineering Department we are exploring the interface between biomedical engineering and mechanical systems. We are researching devices to improve the ability to grow stem cells, to implant tissue scaffolds to help grow new spinal discs, and to use woven silk as a scaffold to grow all sorts of tissue replacement.

We are using MEMS technology to explore cochlear implants and restore hearing to those who are impaired. We are part of an exciting initiative on soft-bodied robots, where squishy biological materials replace the motors, gears, and metal of conventional robots. And we are studying the way that moths and other insects deploy their wings, so that we can mimic this approach in an aircraft that can unfurl its wings.

We are also known for our program in Human Factors, a program that explores the interface between engineering and human psychology. Operating room procedures are being optimized, and we are investigating ways to make medical procedures safer and less invasive. Using haptic interfaces we are able to allow physicians to remotely feel for a tumor, even though it is a robotic hand that is doing the surgery.

Mechatronics

The interface between electronics and mechanical systems is a particularly relevant place to work. In the not-too distant past it was possible to design a system, such as an automatic transmission for a car, using purely mechanical components. With the availability of low-cost, powerful microprocessors, almost any device today is controlled by electronics. Mechanical engineers no longer work in isolation, and must be aware of the strengths and limitations of hybrid electro-mechanical systems.

At Tufts, we are participating in robotics at several levels. In the Center for Engineering Education and Outreach, we are using LEGOs to teach robotics to 4-year old children. We find that children are natural engineers and are able to grasp sophisticated concepts when they are presented in just the right way. We also work with other engineers and biologists on the soft-bodied robot - a mechanical system that is based on the dynamics of the tobacco horn worm. We are looking at the science of manufacturing, and how to efficiently and effectively build the machines of the future. We also do research in the area of dynamics and control, and are looking for ways to safely guide airplanes into airports and ensure their safety while they taxi on the ground. We are studying the mechanics of crack propagation and the interfaces between smooth surfaces so that we might better be able to remove heat from electronic systems. And we are studying advanced materials, with greater strength, durability, and toughness than the materials of today.

But not all of our machines are large-scale. We are working in the new area of micro electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) and using the same processes that have been developed for making miniature processors, and are applying them to microscopic machines. Image a microphone that can sit on the head of a pin, or force sensors that are as small as the foot of an insect. These microscope machines are finding big uses, and play a role in the development of next-generation robots.

Sustainable Energy

A sustainable supply of energy is probably the most pressing problem of our time, and at Tufts we are investigating new ways to help solve this problem. There is likely no single technology which will solve this problem, and solutions can be loosely lumped into supply and consumption. We have decided to focus our research on consumption solutions, and are looking at a variety of approaches to ameliorate the energy sustainability problem.

Internet data servers consume as much as 2 percent of all the energy in the United States. The power draw is now so large that the server farms for services such as Google must now be located next to large power sources. At Tufts we are looking at ways to efficiently remove waste heat from these facilities, and reduce the power consumption load. We are also looking at ways to store and transmit energy, including advanced superconductors which would sustain lower transmission losses.

We are also investigating ways to augment small-scale power generation using advanced vertical-axis wind turbines. Such systems can be located at individual residences, and if sufficiently efficient could pay for themselves in a few short years. Efficient aircraft flight uses similar technologies, and we are investigating ways to reduce aerodynamic drag on advanced aircraft using laminar flow control techniques. Taken together we can have an impact on this problem and assure environmentally safe energy sources that will last into the indefinite future.