In this blog post, we’ll explore what students learn in the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, the various research fields, and real-world applications of mechanical engineering—including biomimetic robots.
It’s hard to imagine modern life without machines. A wide variety of machines are used in all aspects of daily life—from food, clothing, and shelter to everyday activities—and they have become an indispensable part of our lives, even in the smallest details. Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering is the discipline necessary for designing these machines and further advancing existing technologies. In the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, students learn how to design and analyze a wide range of machines—from household appliances and everyday devices commonly found around us to industrial machinery, such as power plant equipment and machine tools, which the general public rarely encounters.
First, it is necessary to understand what a machine is. A machine is a device that converts one form of energy into another. In other words, it is a device that converts energy stored in a substance into a form of energy that humans can utilize. For example, in a power plant, the energy stored in fuels such as oil, coal, and natural gas is converted into thermal energy, which is then used to rotate a turbine, ultimately converting it into electrical energy. This process is also a prime example of the role performed by machines.
Designing and analyzing such diverse machines requires knowledge from various fundamental disciplines. In the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, students first study the four core disciplines of mechanical engineering: thermodynamics, solid mechanics, dynamics, and fluid mechanics. These disciplines are all essential for designing machines and analyzing their performance. Since effectively managing heat generated by machines, ensuring the strength and safety of structures, and analyzing applied forces and motion are critical in the design process, students systematically study these fundamental disciplines.
As technology continues to advance, the research fields within mechanical engineering are becoming increasingly diverse. Even in terms of system size alone, while research in the past focused primarily on consumer goods and large-scale industrial machinery, today there is active research on micro- and nano-scale machines and processes. Furthermore, research aimed at solving the energy problems facing modern society has also established itself as a key area. Extensive research is also being conducted on various eco-friendly energy technologies—such as solar, hydrogen, and wind power—that can replace fossil fuels, as well as the mechanical systems that utilize them.
Among these diverse research fields, I would like to introduce biomimetic robotics in particular. Biomimetic robotics is a technology that goes a step beyond traditional mechanical engineering approaches by observing nature and applying the characteristics of living organisms to robot design. When developing a robot to perform a specific function, this approach involves studying organisms that possess similar capabilities and incorporating those characteristics into the robot’s design.
For example, let’s assume we are developing a robot that can climb vertical walls. In this case, the most critical factor is the adhesive force between the robot and the wall. We can draw inspiration from nature to solve this problem. In fact, research observing the soles of geckos has effectively addressed this challenge. The underside of a gecko’s foot is densely covered with extremely small microstructures, allowing it to adhere to various surfaces without the use of chemical adhesives. By analyzing these structures and then artificially replicating them using nano- and micro-fabrication technologies, we can develop robots capable of climbing walls in ways previously unthinkable.
This research extends beyond the development of wall-climbing robots. A prime example of its application is a new reusable adhesion technology. Conventional adhesion methods have the limitation that their adhesive strength diminishes with repeated peeling and reattachment. However, by applying the gecko’s adhesion principle—which does not rely on chemical adhesives—this drawback can be mitigated, and the technology holds potential for application across various industrial sectors.
Biomimetic technology can also be utilized in various other fields. When designing robots that move quickly through water, we can draw on the shapes and characteristics of fish that swim rapidly. For example, studying organisms with streamlined bodies and surface properties—such as the sailfish—can yield new design ideas for reducing water resistance.
Applying these characteristics to the design of robots or various underwater devices enables the development of systems capable of moving more efficiently.
Of course, mimicking nature is not always the best approach. However, for specific problems, applying nature’s structures and principles allows for more efficient designs than conventional methods. It also provides creative ideas when designing new types of robots that were previously difficult to conceive. While this field may seem to take a somewhat different approach from the four major branches of mechanics introduced earlier, an understanding of those four branches is ultimately essential when analyzing performance and verifying the feasibility of a design.
Mechanical engineering is utilized in machines of various sizes and across a wide range of industrial sectors. Everything from household appliances closely tied to people’s daily lives to cutting-edge machines and systems that bring future technologies to life is built upon the advancements in mechanical engineering. Whether designing more efficient machines based on new concepts or developing small everyday devices, we rely on the principles learned in mechanical engineering to assess stability, efficiency, and the ability of a machine to function properly in practice. These fundamental principles remain constant regardless of a machine’s form or scale. Mechanical engineering is the discipline that uses foundational theory to design new machines and further advance existing ones, while also analyzing and evaluating the performance and safety of those designs.
