Mech 2 Hovercraft Design Competition – April 16, 2019
Engineering students defy gravity (and friction) in hovercraft competition Second-year mechanical engineering students will race remote-controlled hovercraft that float on a cushion of air, combining speed and control in a Hyperloop design challenge. Split into 20 teams, the class will address one of the technology’s fundamental premises: freeing transportation from the limitation imposed by friction […]
Mech Faculty featured in APSC Paper Airplane Workshop + Competition
On Friday, March 29th, the Faculty of Applied Science hosted a paper airplane workshop and competition, with insights shared by several Mechanical Engineering faculty members: Attendees were first treated to four brief but fascinating talks: Dean James Olson on the history and properties of paper; Pete Ostafichuk on paper airplane — or, to be more precise, paper glider — […]
‘Help is available’: Student mental health services at UBC
Through a pilot project in UBC’s mechanical engineering program, second-year students learn about mental health literacy and understanding the stress response through content embedded in the academic curriculum. Similar initiatives are also underway in nursing, biology and creative writing. Agnes d’Entremont, mechanical engineering instructor and faculty lead for the pilot project, said the program was developed based […]
Creating A Safer Volleyball
Photo: Rich Lam/UBC Thunderbirds Although volleyball is a limited-contact sport, many volleyball players still sustain concussions from unfortunate encounters with high-speed balls. Now investigators at the University of British Columbia have found that the brand and model of the volleyball that athletes use may play a role in determining their risk of injury. The researchers […]
Creating the Next Generation of Bat-Inspired Aircraft
The flapping flight dynamics of insects, birds and bats have long been of interest to aeronautical engineers. From Clément Ader’s pioneering 19th-century flying machines to the present-day Bat Bot and BionicFlyingFox, aircraft design has been influenced by bats for more than 130 years. Now, a comprehensive 3D computer model of bat wing flapping flight that may enable the creation of nimbler, […]
Mech2 Hyperloop Design Challenge – where theory and execution collide
On January 23rd, second-year mechanical engineering students faced off in the Hyperloop Rail Challenge, racing their autonomous vehicles around a course with twists, turns and steep grades. This is the first of two design challenges meant to harness their academic learning in practical problem solving of a real-world issue. According to Mech 2 Coordinator, Dr. […]
Dr. Robert Rohling Elected IEEE Fellow
The Department of Mechanical Engineering would like to congratulate faculty member Dr. Robert Rohling, who was elected a Fellow of the IEEE as of January 1st in recognition for “for contributions to ultrasound for medical diagnosis and intervention.” The IEEE is an international organization that fosters innovation in engineering and technology for global benefit, and Fellowship is […]