Research

ME Associate Research Professor Svenja Knappe collaborates with Bob Marshall to bring down the cost of small satellites called CubeSats and tiny sensors previously used to collect measurements of the brain.

Assistant Professor Nina Vance and her collaborators have found cooking, cleaning and other routine household activities to generate significant levels of volatile and particulate chemicals inside the average home, leading to indoor air quality levels on par with a polluted major city.

A team of investigators from the Colorado School of Public Health at CU Anschutz Medical Campus and University of Colorado Boulder has identified that people living in homes with high ventilation are more likely to suffer from respiratory health issues such as asthma.

By developing sensors to optimize inputs for greater crop yields, Mechanical Engineering Associate Professor Gregory Whiting aims to mitigate environmental losses, decrease energy use and improve farm profitability for food, feed and fuel crops, a project funded by ARPA-E.

Professor Shelly Miller was awarded a $1M grant from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to study impacts of climate change on indoor air quality. Her most recent study explores the effects of ventilation rates on human health in low-income Denver-area neighborhoods.

Professor Sean Humbert is leading a team in a national competition, the Subterranean Challenge. The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency gifted the university a $4.5 million grant to fund Humbert's team. Catch his story on CPR News.

New tattoo inks are being designed to change color in response to signals that could alert people to changes in blood chemistry or help doctors diagnose illness. Carson Bruns spoke about his work at the TEDxMileHigh: Reset speaker series.

Soft robotics promises substantial advantages over traditional rigid robots. ME faculty are working toward widespread adoption and practical applications for soft robotic HASEL actuators through a new $2M award from the National Science Foundation.

Think of it as mathematics with a bite: Researchers led by Franck Vernerey have uncovered the statistical rules that govern how gigantic colonies of fire ants form bridges, ladders and floating rafts, one of the most ingenious networks in nature.

Researchers have scaled up a new low-cost cooling system that can provide efficient cooling for homes and beyond using minimal electricity. The system is built from a highly reflective glass and polymer material slightly thicker than aluminum foil.