10.21
Erica K. Brockmeier
Science News Officer
ekbrock@upenn.edu
Mechanical Engineering
New chip poised to enable handheld microwave imaging
New chip poised to enable handheld microwave imaging
Penn researchers show that the new microwave imager chip could form images of simple objects. Unlike light, microwaves can travel through certain opaque objects, making microwave imagers potentially useful in a wide variety of applications.
New topological insulator can reroute photonic ‘traffic’ on the fly
New topological insulator can reroute photonic ‘traffic’ on the fly
Penn researchers, who first discovered topological insulators in 2005, have shown, for the first time, a way for a topological insulator to make use of its entire footprint without wasted space throughout the material’s interior.
Making waves with metamaterials
Making waves with metamaterials
Penn engineers are using a custom mechanical metamaterial, an artificial structure with properties that are defined by its geometry instead of its composition, to study how non-linear waves move in a soft, 2D system to better understand how mechanical metamaterials could be used in the future.
A new bone-like metal foam can ‘heal’ at room temperature
A new bone-like metal foam can ‘heal’ at room temperature
Penn Engineers have developed a way to repair metal at room temperature, rather than welding. They call their technique “healing” because of its similarity to the way bones heal, recruiting raw material and energy from an external source.
Solving complex problems with purpose
Solving complex problems with purpose
Senior Angelica Padilla, who recently completed research through the Laboratory for Research on the Structure of Matter undergraduate summer program, shares her passion for fluid mechanics.
Blinking eye-on-a-chip used for disease modeling and drug testing
Blinking eye-on-a-chip used for disease modeling and drug testing
Penn Engineering’s Dan Huh and Jeongyun Seo built an eye model that could imitate a healthy eye and an eye with dry eye disease, allowing them to test an experimental drug without risk of human harm.
Iron Man: The engineer who became a superhero
Iron Man: The engineer who became a superhero
A Q&A with Marc Miskin and James Pikul about the real-world tech and practical limitations that underly Tony Stark’s superpowered suit.
Remembering the past while looking forward
Remembering the past while looking forward
As the nation celebrates the Apollo 11 mission, a look at Penn’s connection to the historic event and how the Moon impacts science, politics, and culture.
‘Robotic blood’ powers and propels synthetic lionfish
‘Robotic blood’ powers and propels synthetic lionfish
Combining different functional components that are normally compartmentalized can lead to both powerful and lightweight future robots. A new paper by James Pikul highlights the success of a robotic lionfish that combines energy storage and movement through the use of a hydraulic liquid referred to as “robotic blood.”
A new way to fly, built up from the nanoscale
A new way to fly, built up from the nanoscale
Super-thin “nanocardboard” can levitate using only the power of light, opening the door to tiny flying machines with no moving parts.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Penn's Electric Race Car Team Seeks Fourth Title in Four Years
Eighty undergrads from a variety of departments, including Connor Sendel of the Wharton School and the School of Engineering and Applied Science, are building an electric car with four-wheel drive with hopes of winning two competitions this June.
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Philadelphia Inquirer
Philly’s First Maker Faire: A Summer Carnival of Innovation
The School of Engineering and Applied Science’s Dean Vijay Kumar, Dan Koditschek, and Mark Yim were participants in Sunday’s Maker Faire, hosted at Pennovation.
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