Mechanical and Design Engineering Research
From the phone in your pocket, to the train you take on your morning commute, much of everyday life relies on the work of engineers – and our research in Mechanical and Design Engineering is harnessing our engineering expertise to find creative and practical solutions to some of society's most-pressing issues.
Our engineers are already making a positive difference through their research – recent projects include using artificial intelligence to improve powered wheelchairs, creating more efficient solar panels, and developing new lightweight manufacturing materials that can make manufacturing more sustainable in the automotive, marine, aerospace, and construction industries.
Explore our Mechanical & Design Engineering areas of expertise
Find out more about the facilities and research methods that shape our Mechanical Engineering research – and learn more about our recent projects, the academic and industrial partners with whom we collaborate, and the major funders who fund our work.
Interested in a PhD in Mechanical & Design Engineering?
Explore our Mechanical & Design Engineering postgraduate research degrees – including PhDs and MPhils.
Research groups
Advanced Polymers and Composites Research Group
Our activities include research and development into design, creation and testing of polymers and composite materials, and analysing their effectiveness. We also investigate modelling, 3-D printing and structural integrity of sustainable biocomposites.
Biomedical Engineering Research Group
We're researching how to better understand the body through biomechanics, x-ray imaging, in-situ mechanical testing, and high-performance computing.
Materials Design and Characterisation Research Group
Research and analysis of the mechanical and physical properties of alloys and other advanced materials used in critical applications.
Systems Engineering Research Group
We're researching smart mobility systems, intelligent assistive technology, automatic robotic systems, smart energy management, decision making systems and intelligent sensors.
The Correlative and Multimodal (CoMic) Microscopy Network
An open network bringing together correlative microscopy experts and researchers, characterising materials and processes across scientific disciplines
