Recent Research Innovations
Strong as Steel, But Plastic - By mimicking a brick-and-mortar molecular structure found in seashells, Michigan Engineering researchers created a composite plastic that's as strong as steel but lighter and transparent. Further development could lead to lighter, stronger armor and other applications in microelectromechanical devices, microfluidics, biomedical sensors and valves and unmanned aircraft.
http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6084
Running Backwards to Make Progress - Using today's standard ship-design, computer-modeling programs, a scientist inputs a series of environmental conditions and the computer predicts how the boat is likely to perform under these conditions. Michigan Engineering researchers have developed a new faster method that works in reverse. A scientist enters a particular ship response, perhaps the worst-case scenario, and the computer provides a list of water conditions that could create such a response. This new method is meant to be used in the early stages of ship design to rule out problematic architectures. And it is expected to help spur innovation.
http://www.ns.umich.edu/htdocs/releases/story.php?id=6076
Skin for Bridges - A new "skin" for bridges, buildings and airplanes could be a sixth sense for inspectors looking for cracks and corrosion that could lead to a catastrophic failure like the Minneapolis bridge collapse. Michigan Engineering researchers developed a coating that could be painted or sprayed on structures to sense their stability over time. It would allow inspectors to check for damage without physically examining a structure.
