Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering News

Continuous Operation of Underwater Robots

It’s a fish! It’s a bird! No…it’s a robot. Inspired by nature, mechanical engineer Nina Mahmoudian is getting underwater robots to move together.

Not only could they travel more easily, but battery charging could be more efficient, too. Charging a robot is the biggest obstacle to underwater missions. That’s why Mahmoudian, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering, has grants from both a National Science Foundation (NSF) CAREER Award and the Young Investigator Program (YIP) from the Office of Naval Research to develop strategies to address the problem and advance the system.

We want to mimic what we see in nature for mobile sensor networks. —Nina Mahmoudian

Read more and watch the video at Unscripted: Science and Research, by Allison Mills.

June 24, 2016

I have begun my journey onto the Great Lakes.

For the next five days, I’ll be on a ship, learning the ins and outs of being a chief scientist with the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS), a collaborative program between the National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research.

I’ll be aboard the R/V Blue Heron, the only UNOLS research vessel in the Great Lakes. It’s about 20 feet tall, painted navy blue, with “Large Lakes Observatory, University of Minnesota” printed on the bow. This will be my home for the next several days.

Read more at Unscripted, by guest blogger and assistant professor Andrew Barnard.

In the News

Science360, a science news site published by the National Science Foundation (NSF), featured a photo as its Picture of the Day of sunset over Lake Superior, shot by Assistant Professor Andrew Barnard (ME-EM) during a University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System training cruise. See the photo here.

From Tech Today.

L. Brad King (ME-EM/LIFT), is the principal investigator on a project that has received a $199,867 research agreement from the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA).

Ossama Abdelkhalik (ME-EM) and Michael Roggeman (ECE) are Co-PIs on the project “Stratus: A CubeSat to Measure Cloud Structure and Winds.” This is a two-year project.

From Tech Today.

How many sailors does it take to set up an acoustic array? Doesn’t matter if there isn’t a trained acoustics engineer on deck. But clocking time at sea—and knowing how to arrange for experiments aboard a research vessel—is not a straightforward process. To learn more, Andrew Barnard (MEEM) is taking his underwater acoustics research on the R/V Blue Heron next week as part of a Chief Scientist Training Cruise through the University-National Oceanographic Laboratory System (UNOLS).

“The cruise is designed to teach young faculty the ins-and-outs of being a chief scientist on proposals and research expeditions aboard the UNOLS fleet,” Barnard says, adding that he will be conducting some experiments during his trip. The ship will be out from June 25 to 30, traveling from Milwaukee to Duluth.

Michigan Tech partners with UNOLS along with more than 60 other institutions and national laboratories. Learn more here and stay tuned for an Unscripted photo essay and guest blog from Barnard on his experience aboard the R/V Blue Heron.

From Tech Today, by Allison Mills.

A new study focused on solar-hybrid energy systems using cogeneration, photovoltaics and battery technology and its potential impact in the Upper Peninsula was picked up by several media outlets including Solar Thermal Magazine, Phys.org and e! Science News.

The research was conducted by Abhilash Katamneni (CS), Richelle Winkler (SS), Joshua Pearce (ECE/MSE) and Lucia Gauchia (ECE/ME).

From Tech Today.