Research News

A robotic apple picker developed by Michigan State University slowly rolls through a west Michigan orchard systematically picking apples off the trees thanks to a collaborative partnership with the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

Xinpeng Zhao, 32, assistant professor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering, has been named to the 2024 MIT Technology Review 35 Innovators Under 35. The magazine chose Zhao for inventing “a glass-based coating that can cool the roof of a building by around 3.5 °C below ambient air temperature, which could reduce air-conditioning energy use by nearly 10% for a mid-rise building.”

Michael Hickner, the Craig A. Rogerson Endowed Professor in Chemical Engineering and Materials Science, is collaborating on a $4.5 million grant to create a more energy-efficient and precise method for manufacturing ceramics critical to hypersonic aerospace and defense applications.

Professional Development (PD) is vital to keeping elementary math teachers current on the most effective methods for teaching math to students. But the barriers to accessing that PD can be challenging for some. That’s where artificial intelligence (AI) can play a role.

MSU and the U.S. Army Ground Vehicles System Center (GVSC) are advancing their 30-year collaboration on advanced vehicle technologies through a new mobility research initiative to develop lightweight, autonomous vehicles and prepare the next generation of STEM leaders.

Michigan State University College of Engineering recently celebrated the end of the Research Experience for Teachers (RET), a summer program supported by the National Science Foundation for middle, high school and college educators.

Michigan State University and Politecnico di Milano’s team, PoliMOVE-MSU, competed in the seventh edition of the Indy Autonomous Challenge at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 6, taking first place in the passing competition and second place in the time trials competition.

Research at Michigan State University is focused on teaching robots to use colors to perceive, visualize, and interpret interactions when manipulating objects. A force-interpreting optical system is being developed so robots can distinguish and manipulate soft and fragile objects – which will be particularly helpful for medical and other assistive robots.

The Michigan State University Industrial Training Assessment Center and University of Michigan Economic Growth Institute have been awarded $500,000 by the U.S. Department of Energy to launch the Michigan Automotive Supply Chain Technical Assistance Program.

The future of mobility will have a tremendous impact on the fabric of our everyday lives. Here on campus, MSU Mobility is advancing talent and innovation for all forms of mobility through our campus-wide collaboration across six MSU colleges, student engagement, research excellence, an unrivaled real-world testing ecosystem, and results-focused partnerships that catalyze the economic impact of Spartan innovations.