Driving the Future

Investigating next-generation materials, advanced modeling, characterization, testing and manufacturing technologies to enable the efficient development of innovative, high-performance, high-quality products for energy, transportation, communication, health and sustainability applications. Particular emphasis is placed on extreme materials and manufacturing, lightweight and durable materials, functional materials, meta-materials, circular materials, and biomaterials/biomanufacturing.

Developing modern theories, innovative methods and algorithms for analysis, interpretation, and utilization of vast quantities of data with applications in automated vehicles, robotics, infrastructure communication, intelligent control systems, manufacturing, human-machine interactions and more. Robotics for manufacturing emphasizes automated technologies for assembly lines, quality control and logistics to bring efficiency to production.

Applying advanced methods, algorithms, processes, and systems to extract knowledge and insights from structured and unstructured engineering data to tackle challenges in various domains such as cyber-physical systems, sensors, controls, autonomy, mobility, manufacturing, sustainability, and bio-medical applications. Collaborative research under this theme exploits the synergy between the particulars of the mechanical and automotive engineering domains and the theoretical and algorithmic foundations of data science and machine learning methods.

Building approaches and computational tools to support the design, analysis, optimization, and deployment of multi-scale and multi-physics complex systems. Research emphasis areas include multi-scale multi-physics modeling of complex materials, structures and systems, optimization, generative and AI-assisted design, digital twins, uncertainty quantification, high-performance computing for simulations, physics-informed machine learning methods, human-in-loop simulations, and cybersecurity simulations.

Addressing global energy challenges through collaborative research activities in the areas of energy conversion and storage, thermal transport and management, renewable energy sources and production technologies, and sustainability in design, materials, and manufacturing processes. Propulsion systems research focuses on developing propulsion system architectures, including hybrid and pure electric systems, simulation-based methods for optimization of design and operating strategies, and use-case-inspired investigations of advanced powertrain concepts and control, alternative fuels, thermal management, power electronics, battery aging along with the vehicle to grid interaction and model-based control algorithms for improving energy efficiency using vehicle connectivity.

Understanding human-machine interaction, integrating biomechanics, human psychology, and anthropometry to develop intuitive interfaces, adaptive control systems, and assistive technology. Use cases include automated vehicles and Cyber-Collaborative Intelligence for future manufacturing. Biomedical engineering focuses on the application of engineering principles to problems in medicine and biology, including research efforts in the physical and virtual modeling of circulatory systems, medical devices, and exercise performance optimization.

Investigating concepts for controlled manipulation of particulates in unit operations, such as sorting, separation, and transfer, for applications including healthcare diagnostics and therapeutics, materials processing, manufacturing, environmental detection, and remediation.  Research relies on acoustic, electric, magnetic, hydrodynamic, and mechanical phenomena to conceive innovative approaches for particulate manipulation.