2024
November
Whitefoot quoted on EV metrics
Fast Company
EPP/MechE’s Kate Whitefoot was quoted in Fast Company about why EV manufacturers emphasize certain metrics like range in their advertising. “If you can advertise that EVs do have longer range, like up to 300 miles, then consumers are much more willing to purchase EVs and value them equally to gasoline vehicles,” said Whitefoot.
Tang quoted on how AI can improve flight schedules
Fast Company
CEE’s Pingbo Tang was quoted in Fast Company about Odysee, a new AI tool used to optimize efficiency and revenue when creating flight schedules. “This is a very reasonable solution for Alaska Airlines,” said Tang.
Data fuels robotics research
Modern Machine Shop
Carnegie Mellon is collaborating with their Mill 19 partner, the ARM (Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing) Institute on an AI Data Foundry that will serve as a national center that collects and aggregates data for robots working in manufacturing settings.
Test bed builds up robotics research at Carnegie Mellon
Modern Machine Shop
Manufacturing Futures Institute researchers use a robotic test bed where AMRs deliver Lego bricks to robot arms for assembly to study AI, multirobot collaboration, assembly, safety, and more.
October
CMU hosts high schoolers for National Manufacturing Day
Several Outlets
The Manufacturing Futures Institute hosted more than 100 high school students in honor of National Manufacturing Day, as reported by CBS News, PittsburghInno, and WESA. Throughout the day, students participated in a number of hands-on robotic activities.
August
CMU preparing industry and students for future of AM with AI
Additive Manufacturing Media
Work underway at Carnegie Mellon is helping industrial additive manufacturers achieve success today, while applying artificial intelligence to designing AM alloys, optimizing AM parameters, lowering AM’s skills barrier and addressing a fundamental AM problem—spatter.
March
Three new professorships in Mechanical Engineering
Three new professorships were announced in the Department of Mechanical Engineering. Burak Kara has been named a George Tallman and Florence Barrett Ladd Professor of Mechanical Engineering; Carmel Majidi has been named the Clarence H. Adamson Professor of Mechanical Engineering; and Jon Malen has been named the Raymond J. Lane Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering.
February
LeDuc, Ozdoganlar, and Yang featured in Interesting Engineering
Interesting Engineering
MechE’s Philip LeDuc, Burak Ozdoganlar, and Feimo Yang have developed a new tissue engineering technique that may alleviate the organ transplantation crisis. The work was featured in Interesting Engineering. “What makes our method different from other kinds of 3D printing is that instead of letting the water completely freeze while we’re printing, we let it maintain a liquid phase on top,” said Yang, who hopes that the versatility of the 3D-printed blood vessels will have further applications beyond the immediate organ transplant issue.
January
Fuchs featured in a podcast done by Issues in Science and Technology
Issues in Science and Technology
EPP’s Erica Fuchs was featured in a podcast by Issues in Science and Technology. She and Lisa Margonelli talk about Fuchs’ pilot project that she has been working on for the past year—the National Network for Critical Technology Assessment. This project will allow the federal government to predict and tackle supply chain issues effectively ahead of time.
2023
December
Wolf’s 3D printing technology mentioned in Defense News
Defense News
MFI/NEXT Manufacturing’s Sandra DeVincent Wolf’s research was mentioned in Defense News as part of an article on manufacturing issues with 3D printing pertaining to the U.S.’s submarine fleet. In order to resolve the issue, the Navy has started to install cameras, microphones, and sensors that will monitor the manufacturing process and can catch errors in real time; this is similar to the technology in Wolf’s lab. “The machines in her labs are rigged with sensors: high- and low-speed cameras, thermal imaging, images of the melt pool, images of the metal spatter, acoustic monitoring, and more,” the article notes.
Webster-Wood talks with Nature about biohybrid robots
Nature
MechE’s Victoria Webster-Wood talks with Nature about biohybrid robots. “A biohybrid is really any robot that combines both biological materials and synthetic materials,” she says. These machines have many potential applications including search and rescue following earthquakes.
Changliu Liu Receives Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Champion Award
Robotics Institute News
Changliu Liu, a Manufacturing Futures Institute researcher who is developing robotic assembly and disassembly processes for Lego blocks, recently received the 2023 ARM Champion Award. The assistant professor in the Robotics Institute was recognized by the Advanced Robotics for Manufacturing Institute for the substantial impact through her work in robot safety.
November
Taylor featured in PittsburghInno
PittsburghInno
MechE’s Rebecca Taylor was featured in PittsburghInno for being named the first Ansys Career Development Chair in the College of Engineering. The Ansys endowment she received will go toward educating mechanical engineering students using Ansys software. “Using Ansys software in my lab and classroom will help prepare my students to use self-assembly as a powerful tool for advanced manufacturing,” Taylor says. The announcement was also covered in the Pittsburgh Business Times.
October
Majidi talks about shape-shifting robots
BuiltIn
MechE’s Carmel Majidi talks to BuiltIn about shape-shifting robots. “This technology introduces new capabilities to achieve robotic functions at the small scale in hard-to-reach places,” he says. “Because of its shape-shifting properties and response to external stimuli, it can be operated remotely and controlled to move within otherwise hard to reach parts, such as those within the body.”