FacultyResearch August 28, 2026 · 5 min read With a body-hugging fit, an innovative composite can thwart lightning damage to aircraft hulls A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers has designed a protective hybrid fiber-reinforced polymer composite “blanket” that could significantly reduce lightning strike damage and improve protective coverage for aircraft and other high-flying vehicles. The research…
Moonshots Limitless distributed power Moonshots Making quantum practical GivingResearch August 25, 2026 · 6 min read $27M WARF investment fuels next frontiers in research A $27 million investment from the Wisconsin Alumni Research Foundation (WARF) will accelerate four University of Wisconsin-Madison high-impact transdisciplinary research initiatives—two of which are led or co-led by College of Engineering researchers. Building on existing…
Research August 24, 2026 · 3 min read Hidden ‘gear-shifting’ strategy helps power every step A team of University of Wisconsin-Madison researchers has discovered the muscles in our lower legs work much like a bicycle shifting through gears during walking. As your ankle speeds up during each step, your nervous…
FacultyResearch August 21, 2026 · 6 min read In it for the long haul: Will electric semis work, and what’s next for heavy-duty trucks, ships, and off-road machinery? Sage Kokjohn is the Phil and Jean Myers Professor of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. A member of the College of Engineering’s Engine Research Center, Kokjohn researches energy conversion for transportation and power…
Research August 12, 2026 · 3 min read Aluminum-air battery cuts robot energy-storage mass by 41% A robotic rover powered by a new aluminum-air battery completed the same 60-kilometer mission as a lithium-ion-powered rover while carrying 41% less total energy-storage mass. Developed by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers James Pikul and Yichao…
FacultyResearch August 11, 2026 · 3 min read Custom 4D-printed implants offer patients a less painful path to tissue reconstruction In performing reconstructive surgery, surgeons commonly use a technique called tissue expansion, which involves slowly stretching nearby skin to grow extra tissue that can be used to rebuild areas such as the ear, breast or…
FacultyResearch July 27, 2026 · 3 min read Are solid-state batteries safer? UW-Madison engineers put them to the test A new study by University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers shows solid-state batteries can offer real safety advantages over lithium-ion batteries but can still catch fire and burn in a worst-case accident scenario. “Our research shows that…
AwardsFaculty July 20, 2026 · 2 min read Engineering teams receive SEED grants promoting technology transfer to industry Two projects led by University of Wisconsin-Madison College of Engineering faculty have received annual State Economic Engagement & Development (SEED) funding. The SEED Research Program funds are designated by the state legislature and administered by…
FacultyResearch July 17, 2026 · 4 min read For farmers, effectively filtering ammonia from manure requires the right pH University of Wisconsin-Madison engineers have created a new model that sheds light on why reverse osmosis systems recover some forms of ammonia from wastewater more effectively than others. Mohan Qin, an assistant professor of civil…
FacultyResearch June 12, 2026 · 3 min read A new roadmap points to longer-lasting lithium-metal batteries that could extend the range of electric vehicles With their exceptionally high energy density, lithium-metal batteries could dramatically increase electric vehicle driving ranges and speed up charging. However, there’s a big hurdle for creating practical rechargeable lithium-metal batteries: the formation of dendrites. Dendrites,…