Engineering
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Researchers identify unexpected twist while developing new polymer-based semiconductors
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — A new study led by chemists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign brings fresh insight into the development of semiconductor materials that can do things their traditional silicon counterparts cannot – harness the power of chirality, a non-superimposable mirror image. Chirality is one of nature’s strategies used to build complexity into structures, […]
Collaborative learning experiences crucial in preparing engineering students for the workforce
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Huddled in groups, undergraduate students in Systems Engineering 101, a foundational course taught by University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign industrial and enterprise systems engineering professor Molly Hathaway Goldstein, deconstruct and reverse-engineer a product of their choice, such as a desktop gumball machine or a model of a Stirling engine. These experiential, hands-on group projects aim […]
Rashid Bashir elected to National Academy of Medicine
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Rashid Bashir, dean of The Grainger College of Engineering and professor of bioengineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, has been elected to the National Academy of Medicine. A pioneer at the intersection of engineering and medicine, Bashir was elected “for seminal contributions and visionary leadership in micro and nanoscale biosensors and […]
Researchers propose a unified, scalable framework to measure agricultural greenhouse gas emissions
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Increased government investment in climate change mitigation is prompting agricultural sectors to find reliable methods for measuring their contribution to climate change. With that in mind, a team led by scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign proposed a supercomputing solution to help measure individual farm field-level greenhouse gas emissions. Although locally […]
Fast, automated, affordable test for cement durability
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Engineers at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign have developed a new test that can predict the durability of cement in seconds to minutes – rather than the hours it takes using current methods. The test measures the behavior of water droplets on cement surfaces using computer vision on a device that costs […]
Displays controlled by flexible fins and liquid droplets more versatile, efficient than LED screens
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Flexible displays that can change color, convey information and even send veiled messages via infrared radiation are now possible, thanks to new research from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Engineers inspired by the morphing skins of animals like chameleons and octopuses have developed capillary-controlled robotic flapping fins to create switchable optical and […]
What is the state of underwater geolocation technology?
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The loss of OceanGate’s Titan submersible this week has triggered questions about how underwater craft navigate and how these vehicles can improve their geolocation abilities. Electrical and computer engineering professor Viktor Gruev spoke with News Bureau physical sciences editor Lois Yoksoulian about the current state of the science behind underwater geolocation, and […]
Mechanical engineers lend fresh insight into battery-based desalination technology
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — To achieve more effective saltwater desalination, mechanical engineers focused on fluid movement rather than new materials in a new study. By adding microchannels to the inside of battery-like electrodes made of Prussian blue – an intense blue pigment often used in art that also has special chemical properties – researchers increased the […]
Imaging agents light up two cancer biomarkers at once to give more complete picture of tumor
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Cancer surgeons may soon have a more complete view of tumors during surgery thanks to new imaging agents that can illuminate multiple biomarkers at once, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report. The fluorescent nanoparticles, wrapped in the membranes of red blood cells, target tumors better than current clinically approved dyes and can […]
Webb Space Telescope detects universe’s most distant complex organic molecules
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Researchers have detected complex organic molecules in a galaxy more than 12 billion light-years away from Earth – the most distant galaxy in which these molecules are now known to exist. Thanks to the capabilities of the recently launched James Webb Space Telescope and careful analyses from the research team, a new […]
Smart surgical implant coatings provide early failure warning while preventing infection
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Newly developed “smart” coatings for surgical orthopedic implants can monitor strain on the devices to provide early warning of implant failures while killing infection-causing bacteria, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign researchers report. The coatings integrate flexible sensors with a nanostructured antibacterial surface inspired by the wings of dragonflies and cicadas. In a new […]
U of I to lead National Artificial Intelligence Research Institute focused on STEM learning
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Scientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign will lead a national Artificial Intelligence Research Institute focused on developing learning technologies that accelerate young people’s achievement in science, technology, engineering and math. The National Science Foundation announced today it is awarding $20 million over five years to establish the Inclusive and Intelligent Technologies for […]