Faculty
Research Professor John W. Daily has spent several decades studying combustion, including wildfire behavior and the technology used to track fires and predict where wildfires might turn. In this article by The Conversation, Daily explains this technology and how it may have been used in the recent LA fires to prevent greater catastrophe.
From July 2023 to June 2024, CU Boulder helped to launch 35 new companies based on research at the university—a big tick up from the previous record of 20 companies in fiscal year 2021. Two of these startups were spun by ME professors Chunmei Ban and Gregory Whiting. Take a look at how our faculty are using discoveries from the lab to make a difference in peoples’ lives.
Watch Jacob Segil, CEO of Afference and research professor in the Paul M. Rady Department of Mechanical Engineering, showcase a new piece of haptic technology in an episode of Freethink's Hard Reset docuseries that will "redraw the borders of reality."
Avalanche risk may be rising around the world, and as temperature patterns change, they may be more difficult to predict. Associate Professor Nathalie Vriend uses a technique in her lab called photoelasticity to study small-scale avalanches. In this article published by The Conversation, she explains what causes these innocent-looking snow slopes to collapse, and gives tips to help skiers survive if they encounter one.
Research Professor Jacob Segil is also the CEO of Boulder startup Afference. The company traveled to Las Vegas for this year's Consumer Electronics Show (CES) to showcase what's being called "the new frontier" of spatial computing: a neural haptic ring that allows users to feel something even when touching nothing.
The mechanical engineering community is celebrating the 80th birthday of former CU Boulder Professor Roop. L Mahajan. With over 60 years of service in the engineering profession, Mahajan's remarkable career embodies research excellence and educational impact. He served as a Professor of Mechanical Engineering at CU Boulder for 15 years from 1991-2006. He also served as the Interim Dean of the College of Engineering and Applied Science from 2001-2002.
Associate Professor Chunmei Ban and her research team are exploring the use of sodium-ion batteries as an alternative to lithium-based energy storage. Sodium is widely distributed in the Earth's crust and is an appealing candidate to remedy concerns over resource scarcity with lithium-ion batteries.
In a study conducted by Assistant Teaching Professor James Harper and his consultation company Realize Research, LLC, it was found that regions where heavy storms and floods are more prevalent cause households in those areas to stop using and maintaining their toilets. Toilet dysfunction is a huge source of pollution, can increase the burden on water treatment systems and is a major risk of human health.
Sean Humbert, professor in mechanical engineering and director of the Robotics graduate program, chats with CBS News Colorado about some of the technology him and his students are working on at CU Boulder. One of their builds is a robot that the Boulder County Sheriff's Office uses to support their bomb squad team.
The Paul M. Ray Department of Mechanical Engineering has launched a new research area in design. The new focus area, geared toward PhD students, involves the study of the design process and how various contexts (environmental, psychological, political, etc.) affect the artifacts that today’s engineers aim to create.