News

The Compliant Mechanisms Research group has joined forces with two other research groups, BioMEMS and the Design Exploration Group, to form the Mechanical Design Collective. The new lab space is housed in the new Engineering Building. Each of the research groups are rooted in Mechanical Engineering and design, but focus on different aspects of the field. In planning for years, the Mechanical Design Collective provides an opportunity to collaborate with one another and to make a difference for good throughout the world.

From age 13, Alden Yellowhorse wanted to be an engineer. After transferring to BYU for his bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering, going on to get a Ph.D. was not his expectation. However, the decision to get his Ph.D. has opened doors for personal, professional and academic growth – including an ongoing research relationship with NASA. Learn more about his fascinating research and path at BYU news.

Guimin Chen is a visiting professor at the Compliant Mechanisms Research (CMR) Lab of Brigham Young University. Before this visit, he worked at CMR as a visiting scholar for a year starting from October 2007. He earned his bachelor's and master's degrees in Mechatronics and doctorate in Mechanical Manufacturing and Its Automation from Xidian University in 2000, 2003 and 2005, respectively, where he leads a Compliant Mechanisms and Robotics Research group.

The new book “Y Origami?: Explorations in Folding” has been published by the American Mathematical Society. Many thanks to our own David Morgan and many, many others who have contributed.

The BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research Lab enjoyed enormous success at this year’s Design Engineering Technical Conferences hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers. Students claimed first and second place in the Graduate Division of the 2017 ASME International Student Mechanisms Design Competition in Cleveland, Ohio, in August.

Nathan Pehrson, a PhD student studying mechanical engineering, recently received the NASA Space Technology Research Fellowship (NSTRF). Pehrson was awarded over $60,000 for the fellowship and will begin in August, while still working to finish his PhD.

The BYU Compliant Mechanisms Research lab was awarded a research grant from the National Science Foundation to support research on compliant mechanisms on developable surfaces. The grant begins May 2017 and will extend through April 2020. Work will build on a foundation created by research in origami-based compliant mechanisms, funded through a previous grant awarded by NSF’s Emerging Frontiers in Research and Innovation program. Dr. Robert Lang will continue to work with the Compliant Mechanisms Research lab as part of this grant.

Jared Butler, graduate student in the CMR lab, took first place in the Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering & Technology Three Minute Thesis (3MT®) competition earlier this week. He took first place in two categories, overall as well as the People’s Choice. He will be advancing to the university-wide competition held on March 9, 2017.

The NOVA episode “The Origami Revolution” will air today, Wednesday, February 15th. Some of the origami research from the CMR lab has been highlighted.

The “Origami Universe” exhibition is being held at the Chimei Museum in Tainan City, Taiwan. This exhibition features origami art from around the world and includes BYU’s origami-based engineering research. The CMR Lab has several pieces on display, including deployable solar arrays, origami-inspired surgical devices, microsystems for nanoinjection, and origami-inspired backpacks. The Chimei is also looping two BYU-produced videos for their patrons to view, and is making use of the CMR-produced app, “Folded BY-U”, in their hands-on area. The exhibit is being held through May 2017.

Dr. Larry Howell visited Taiwan and China to interact with researchers, give invited talks and present a workshop. In Taiwan he led a hands-on origami workshop and gave a seminar at the D-School at Taiwan National University, gave an invited lecture at National Cheng Kung University in Tainan, Taiwan. His host was Prof. Chin-Hsing Kuo of National Taiwan University of Science and Technology.

A recent CMR article has been selected as a featured article by the ASME Journal of Mechanical Design.

Congratulations to Mechanical Engineering students Bridget Beatson, Mary Wilson and Amanda Lytle for shipping out their starshade model this week!