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Since its founding in 1964, the Department of Mechanical Engineering at UC Santa Barbara has provided outstanding educational and research opportunities enhanced by UCSB's collaborative interdisciplinary approach.

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Mechanical Engineering News

News

Lithium shows its metal, paving the way for better batteries

Friday, April 18, 2025

Lithium-ion batteries today are nearly ubiquitous, powering everything from cell phones to laptops. Small wonder, then, that scientists are continually trying to develop safer and more energy-efficient battery technology.

Fruit fly larvae will reorient themselves toward the negative pole of an electric field

Scientists discover that fruit fly larvae can sense electric fields

Wednesday, April 9, 2025

While it may be an unfamiliar sensation to humans, electroreception is relatively commonplace in the animal kingdom. Sharks, bees and even the platypus all share this ability to detect electric fields in their environment.

New microCT machine unites biologists and materials scientists

Tuesday, March 25, 2025

A versatile new device will soon come to campus thanks to an interdepartmental collaboration between biologists and engineers.

How to get a robot collective to act like a smart material

Thursday, February 27, 2025

Researchers at UC Santa Barbara and TU Dresden are blurring the lines between robotics and materials, with a proof-of-concept material-like collective of robots with behaviors inspired by biology.

Artist's rendition of insects surrounded by bright lights and a quantum computer in the background

Convergence Magazine

The magazine of engineering and the sciences at UCSB

The latest issue of Convergence magazine is out! Read how CoE faculty and staff have responded during the COVID-19 pandemic, major awards received by CoE faculty, and a range of innovative research that demonstrates the college’s commitment to creating a better world