Rice University Mechanical Engineering

08/12/2026

Research led by Keya Ghonasgi could soon change how stroke patients recover.

Keya Ghonasgi, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, is leading a new Brain Institute collaboration alongside Simon Fischer-Baum, associate professor of psychological sciences, with clinical support from Dr. Sheng Li of UThealth Houston. Together, they are using a bilateral wearable exoskeleton to test a more active approach to rehabilitation. Instead of passively moving an affected limb, this mirror-mode technology lets a patient's dominant arm guide their affected limb, mapping movement from one arm to the other at the joint level to actively engage the brain and muscles.

Learn more: https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/rice-brain-institute-collaboration-test-patient-driven-robotic-therapy-stroke-recovery

08/07/2026

Join us for a MECH Special Summer Seminar featuring Dr. Zheng O'Neill, Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Deputy Director of the Energy Systems Laboratory (ESL) at Texas A&M University, presenting "Toward Energy-Efficient and Flexible Buildings: Modeling, HVAC Innovation and Intelligent Operation."

Dr. O'Neill will provide an overview of building science research from the Building Energy and HVAC&R Research Group at Texas A&M, covering data analytics and dynamic modeling, enabling technologies such as heat pumps and dehumidification systems, network-embedded sensor and control systems and intelligent building operation strategies for greater energy efficiency, flexibility and resilience. She will introduce the group's experimental infrastructure and laboratory-scale testbed before sharing recent results on energy flexibility from heat pump systems, including demand response and grid-interactive efficient building applications. Dr. O'Neill is a Fellow of ASHRAE and IBPSA.

📅 Wednesday, August 12, 2026
⏰ 10:00 AM - 11:00 AM CDT
📍 MEB 128, Rice University
https://events.rice.edu/event/436457-mech-special-summer-seminar-dr-zheng-oneill

07/29/2026

07/22/2026

A new study on the mechanics of surgical retractors could pave the way for safer neck surgeries and fewer swallowing complications for patients.

A team led by Raudel Avila of Rice University Mechanical Engineering, with graduate student Chihtong "Lily" Lee as lead author and neurosurgeons Alexander Ropper and Alex Flores of Baylor College of Medicine, quantified how retractor design affects pressure on the esophagus during anterior cervical discectomy and fusion, one of the most common neck procedures. Using a silicone model of the esophagus paired with computer simulations, the team found that wider retractor blades reduced stress beneath the blade by as much as 82%, and that a soft polymer sleeve lowered peak stress further.

The findings give surgeons and device designers measurable criteria for comparing tool designs before clinical testing, mechanically simple changes that could reduce a frequent complication without altering the surgical workflow.

Read more: https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/rice-baylor-college-medicine-researchers-explore-safer-surgical-tools-reduce-swallowing

07/17/2026

We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Alambeigi to the Rice Engineering and Computing family as an associate professor of mechanical engineering!

Dr. Alambeigi serves as the Director of Robotics, Imaging, and Autonomous Surgery at the Bookout Center ( Houston Methodist Research Institute) and directs the Advanced Robotic Technologies for Surgery (ARTS) Laboratory. His team is pushing the boundaries of surgical robotics by developing autonomous, flexible, and continuum robotic systems. By integrating cutting-edge technologies, artificial intelligence, and medical imaging, the ARTS Lab aims to drastically improve the precision, safety, and overall success of minimally invasive procedures.

As our department continues to grow, we are glad to have Dr. Alambeigi driving innovation and leading new research within the MECH community.
🔗 Learn more about his research and background: https://profiles.rice.edu/faculty/farshid-alambeigi

07/16/2026

Rice MECH was well represented at IEEE FLEPS 2026 in Atlanta!

Faculty members Daniel Preston and Raudel Avila delivered invited talks on wearable energy harvesting and system-level modeling of stretchable electronics, respectively, and Raudel contributed to conference organization as the Young Professional Co-Chair. Yong Lin Kong also helped lead the conference as a Track Chair for Advanced Manufacturing.

07/09/2026

Sensing technologies are becoming increasingly interdisciplinary, and their role is changing quickly.

In a new Viewpoint in Nature Sensors, department chair Marcia O'Malley joins Saptarshi Das, Kinda Khalaf, Silvestro Micera and Peng Zhou to answer ten questions on where the field is heading. The article covers emerging sensing paradigms, including distributed autonomous networks, multimodal systems and sensors that harvest their own energy, the ethical and societal questions that come with them, and the system-level innovations needed to turn laboratory breakthroughs into technologies that hold up in the real world.

Read the full article: https://www.nature.com/articles/s44460-026-00093-5

07/06/2026

Research led by Raudel Avila could soon power a new generation of connected devices with a battery that runs on nothing but moisture in the air.

Avila, assistant professor of mechanical engineering at Rice University, worked with collaborators at NC State University to develop a nontoxic, stretchable battery that generates power by pulling moisture from the surrounding environment, functioning even in climates as dry as the desert. Because it stays inactive until exposed to air, the battery has an extended shelf life and eliminates the toxic, flammable materials found in conventional lithium-ion batteries.

Avila's modeling revealed how a pangolin-inspired structure of densely packed overlapping scales preserves performance under bending, twisting and stretching. The work, published in Science Advances, opens a range of Internet of Things applications, from wearable health monitors to advanced surveillance devices with built-in kill switches.

https://news.rice.edu/news/2026/researchers-create-moisture-driven-tech-powers-green-batteries-and-dissolves-spy-gear

06/30/2026

Rice researchers develop shape-shifting surface for next-generation human-machine interaction, opening new possibilities for wearable devices and immersive tactile displays.

A team led by Raudel Avila, assistant professor of mechanical engineering, developed a soft, shape-shifting surface that can morph into thousands of different forms while staying durable enough to be pinched, pressed and twisted. Published in Science Advances, the research combines magnetic actuation, built-in sensors and color-changing LEDs into a single system that communicates with people through both touch and sight.

The technology could one day support wearable devices, soft robotics, virtual reality interfaces and assistive tools for people with visual impairments.

06/26/2026

As Houston's data center boom accelerates, the engineering questions around heat, water and community impact are becoming impossible to ignore.

Laura Schaefer, professor of mechanical engineering, spoke with Houston Matters about how large-scale facilities generate and release heat into surrounding areas and why alternatives to conventional cooling systems are not only viable but also economically smart.

We talk with Nikolas Guggenberger from the UH Law Center about the ...