Research & Impact
Stanford’s Department of Mechanical Engineering (ME) works in four major research areas: computational engineering, design, sustainability, and human health. Our research philosophy is simple: Push the limits of the possible — the ultra-efficient and most sustainable, the fully autonomous and super-controlled, the bioinspired and maximally enduring.
ME Research Areas
Important multidisciplinary, project-based learning opportunities within Mechanical Engineering’s three research themes employ a range of methodologies — design thinking, multiscale modeling, physics-based simulation, control systems, and artificial intelligence — to the study of the nanoscale to complex living and mechanical systems. See where you fit in.
Professor Steve Collins discovers a technology to replace traditional motors in next-generation robots
"Researchers at Stanford have designed a spring-assisted actuator – a device that can accomplish dynamic tasks using a fraction of the energy previously required."
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Two ME Faculty receive National Science Foundation CAREER Award
The grants support early-career faculty who have the potential to serve as academic role models in research and education and to lead advances in the mission of their department or organization.
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Mechanical Engineering Labs & Centers
Unparalleled hands-on and theoretical research opportunities await in Mechanical Engineering labs and centers. Each day we engage great minds to make an impact on our world.
Learn more about Mechanical Engineering Labs & Centers
News & Ideas
Pushing the limits of what’s possible: Explore the latest ideas coming out of our labs. See the impact of this important research on the world around us.
