Engineers develop new magnetic ink to print self-healing devices that heal in record time JacobsSchoolNews 2026-09-20 | Engineers develop new magnetic ink to print self-healing devices that heal in record time
Turtle-inspired bot swims and senses under sand JacobsSchoolNews 2023-07-21 | This robot can swim under the sand and dig itself out too, thanks to two front limbs that mimic the oversized flippers of turtle hatchlings. It’s the only robot that is able to travel in sand at a depth of 5 inches. It can also travel at a speed of 1.2 millimeters per second–roughly 4 meters, or 13 feet, per hour. This may seem slow but is comparable to other subterranean animals like worms and clams. The robot is equipped with force sensors at the end of its limbs that allow it to detect obstacles while in motion. It can operate untethered and be controlled via WiFi.The robot is the result of several experiments conducted by a team of roboticists at the University of California San Diego to better understand sand and how robots could travel through it. Robots that can move through sand face significant challenges like dealing with higher forces than robots that move in air or water. They also get damaged more easily. However, the potential benefits of solving locomotion in sand include inspection of grain silos, measurements for soil contaminants, seafloor digging, extraterrestrial exploration, and search and rescue. Video by Shivam Chopra
UC San Diego Hosts National Steel Bridge Competition JacobsSchoolNews 2023-06-14 | Student cheers mixed with the noise of power tools on a Saturday morning at Liontree Arena as more than 40 student teams, including one from UC San Diego, competed in the finals of a national steel bridge competition. Winning the competition requires building a 20-foot steel bridge that can carry 2500 lbs–roughly the weight of a Toyota Corolla. At the same time, the bridges can’t be too heavy, or move around or deform too much–and also have to look good. The goal of the competition is to allow students to apply what they learned in the classroom to a practical hands-on project. The competition also teaches students interpersonal and professional skills; encourages innovation; and fosters meaningful connections between students and industry professionals.
Protein Discovery Sheds New Light on Cellular Behavior JacobsSchoolNews 2023-02-06 | Every living thing is made up of a massive network of cells. Understanding everything there is to know about them can give scientists nearly limitless information about the larger processes that govern everything from how we move to how we think. Researchers at The University of Texas at Austin and University of California San Diego just published a new paper in Nature Physics featuring previously unknown information about cellular proteins and how they organize themselves. They found that a protein called VASP naturally phase separates into liquid droplets, which is critical for the bundling of actin that helps cells hold their shape and control movement.
In Cells, UV-Emitting Nail Polish Dryers Damage DNA and Cause Mutations JacobsSchoolNews 2023-01-20 | The ultraviolet nail polish drying devices used to cure gel manicures may pose more of a public health concern than previously thought. Researchers at UC San Diego studied these ultraviolet (UV) light-emitting devices, and found that their use leads to cell death and cancer-causing mutations in human cells. In this broll, Maria Zhivagui, a postdoctoral scholar in the Alexandrov Lab and first author of the study, demonstrates how the experiments were conducted. Learn more in this release: https://today.ucsd.edu/story/uv-emitting-nail-polish-dryers-damage-dna-and-cause-mutations-in-cells
TOUR A BIG MACHINE FOR EARTHQUAKE SAFETY AT UC SAN DIEGO JacobsSchoolNews 2023-01-20 | UC San Diego's NSF-funded earthquake simulator was recently upgraded with a $16.9 million grant from the National Science Foundation. It went from being able to move in one direction – east-west – to three directions – east-west, north-south, up and down, as well as roll, pitch and yaw, three motions in the x, y and z axes performed by airplanes in flight and commonly seen in earthquake motions. The upgrade to one vertical and two horizontal motions and three rotations–known technically as six degrees of freedom–will allow the facility to test structures with an unprecedented degree of accuracy when compared to real earthquake ground motions. Koorosh Lotfizadeh, the facility's site manager, gives a tour of the shake table and talks about its new capabilities.
2022 Jacobs School of Engineering student highlights JacobsSchoolNews 2022-12-23 | It was an impressive year for engineering and computer science students at UC San Diego. Here are some of the ways they put their skills to use, from autonomous car competitions, to outreach events and hands-on research.
Jacobs School of Engineering 2022 highlights JacobsSchoolNews 2022-12-22 | As we take a break to rest and recharge before jumping into more research and engineering education for the public good next year, we’re reflecting on all that our students, faculty, staff and partners accomplished in 2022. Here are a few of our UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering highlights this year.Read more: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3564
Wood high-rise tops off at UC San Diego shake table — tests planned for early next year JacobsSchoolNews 2022-12-06 | The tallest building ever to be tested on an earthquake simulator topped off at 10 stories high at UC San Diego's shake table when construction crews and a giant crane flew the last wood panel to the top of the structure on Dec. 6, 2022.The building is made from cross-laminated timber, or CLT, a material that allows for faster construction and is also sustainable. The goal of the Tallwood project, funded by the National Science Foundation, is to determine how well CLT mid- to high-rise buildings would fare during an earthquake. It is led by the Colorado School of Mines with a team of researchers from universities around the world. You can learn more about the project at the Tallwood website, in this story by the San Diego Union-Tribune and in this podcast episode.
Multi-terrain robots avoid people and other obstacles JacobsSchoolNews 2022-10-04 | A team led by the University of California San Diego has developed a new system of algorithms that enables four-legged robots to walk and run on challenging terrain while avoiding both static and moving obstacles. The work brings researchers a step closer to building robots that can perform search and rescue missions or collect information in places that are too dangerous or difficult for humans.Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3511Music: "Subduction Zone" by Anemoia (licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0)
Franklin Antonio Hall is open! JacobsSchoolNews 2022-09-28 | The UC San Diego campus community turned out in big numbers on Sept. 23 to celebrate the opening of the sleek and soaring Franklin Antonio Hall. The 186,000 square foot building is not only innovative in its architecture, it’s also ground-breaking in how research teams are organized within the building.Learn more:
Algae-powered devices glow in the dark when squished, stretched JacobsSchoolNews 2022-09-20 | Researchers at the University of California San Diego have developed soft devices containing algae that glow in the dark when experiencing mechanical stress, such as being squished, stretched, twisted or bent. The devices do not require any electronics to light up, making them an ideal choice for building soft robots that explore the deep sea and other dark environments, researchers said.Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3507Music by Maarten Schellekens
Structural engineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-28 | What exactly is structural engineering? This video explains what undergraduate students who study structural engineering at UC San Diego will learn; what careers they'll be prepared for; and how structural engineers use these skills to make an impact in a variety of fields. For more information on structural engineering at UC San Diego, visit: https://structures.ucsd.edu/
Nanoengineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-28 | What exactly is nanoengineering? This video explains what undergraduate students who study nanoengineering or chemical engineering at UC San Diego will learn; what careers they'll be prepared for; and how nanoengineers and chemical engineers use these skills to make an impact in a variety of fields. For more information on nanoengineering at UC San Diego, visit: https://ne.ucsd.edu/
Mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-28 | What exactly are mechanical and aerospace engineering? This video explains what undergraduate students who study mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC San Diego will learn; what careers they'll be prepared for; and how mechanical and aerospace engineers use these skills to make an impact in a variety of fields. For more information on mechanical and aerospace engineering at UC San Diego, visit: https://maeweb.ucsd.edu/
Electrical and computer engineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-28 | What exactly is electrical and computer engineering? This video explains what undergraduate students who study electrical and computer engineering at UC San Diego will learn; what careers they'll be prepared for; and how electrical engineers use these skills to make an impact in a variety of fields. For more information on electrical and computer engineering at UC San Diego, visit: https://www.ece.ucsd.edu/
Computer science and engineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-28 | What exactly is computer science and engineering? This video explains what undergraduate students who study computer science and engineering at UC San Diego will learn; what careers they'll be prepared for; and how computer scientists use these skills to make an impact in a variety of fields. For more information on computer science at UC San Diego, visit: https://cse.ucsd.edu/
Bioengineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-28 | What exactly is bioengineering? This video explains what undergraduate students who study bioengineering at UC San Diego will learn; what careers they'll be prepared for; and how bioengineers use these skills to make an impact in a variety of fields. For more information on bioengineering at UC San Diego, visit: https://be.ucsd.edu/
UC San Diego Shake Table Reopens After Major Upgrade JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-13 | The UC San Diego earthquake simulator was recently upgraded with a $16.9 million grant from NSF. It went from being able to move in one dimension –east to west– to three dimensions–east to west, north to south, up and down, as well as roll, pitch and yaw, three motions in the x, y and z axes performed by airplanes in flight and commonly seen in earthquake motions. The upgrade to 3D–known technically as six degrees of freedom–will allow the facility to test structures with an unprecedented degree of accuracy.
3, 2, 1: shake! JacobsSchoolNews 2022-07-08 | National Science Foundation Director Sethuraman Panchanathan counted down before UC San Diego’s shake table, one of the two biggest earthquake simulators in the world, put the foundation of a 10-story building through a recreation of the 6.7 magnitude, 1994 Northridge earthquake. Panchanathan was on campus for a day-long visit, during which he toured facilities, met with researchers and learned about the many startups spun off from campus research.
Students earn top marks in Mars rover competition JacobsSchoolNews 2022-06-23 | The UC San Diego Yonder Dynamics student team made a triumphant return to the first in-person University Rover Challenge since 2019, claiming 1st place in the science portion of the Mars rover robotics competition, and 8th place overall out of 26 teams from around the world. Their rover, named Complacency in jest, was put to the test in the rough, rocky terrain of Hanksville, Utah.Read more: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3472
WiFi helps robots navigate indoors JacobsSchoolNews 2022-05-20 | Engineers at the University of California San Diego have developed a low cost, low power technology to help robots accurately map their way indoors, even in poor lighting and without recognizable landmarks or features.The technology consists of sensors that use WiFi signals to help the robot map where it’s going. It’s a new approach to indoor robot navigation. Most systems rely on optical light sensors such as cameras and LiDARs. In this case, the so-called “WiFi sensors” use radio frequency signals rather than light or visual cues to see, so they can work in conditions where cameras and LiDARs struggle—in low light, changing light, and repetitive environments such as long corridors and warehouses. And by using WiFi, the technology could offer an economical alternative to expensive and power-hungry LiDARs, the researchers noted.Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3452Music by HoliznaCC0
Super high resolution brain sensing grids - Shadi Dayeh lab JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-22 | This animation illustrates use cases of high resolution brain sensors developed by a UC San Diego-led team of engineers, neurosurgeons and medical researchers. The new array of brain sensors can record electrical signals directly from the surface of the human brain in record-breaking detail. The sensors offer brain-signal information in 100 times higher resolution than the neural interfaces used for brain surgeries today. Access to such detailed information could provide neurosurgeons better guidance for planning surgeries to safely remove brain tumors and surgically treat drug-resistant epilepsy.The super high resolution brain sensors are reported in a paper published by the journal Science Translational Medicine. Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3393Video credit: Angelique Paulk, Ahmed Raslan, Daniel Cleary, Youngbin Tchoe, and Shadi Dayeh
Thin, flexible neural interfaces feature thousands of densely packed ECoG sensors JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-22 | A new array of brain sensors can record electrical signals directly from the surface of the human brain in record-breaking detail. The new brain sensors feature densely packed grids of either 1,024 or 2,048 embedded electrocorticography (ECoG) sensors. They are more flexible and 100 times thinner than the ECoG grids used in the clinic. If approved for clinical use, these new sensors would offer neurosurgeons brain-signal information directly from the surface of the brain's cortex in 100 times higher resolution than what is available today.A team led by electrical engineers at the University of California San Diego reported the new brain sensors in a paper published by the journal Science Translational Medicine. Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3393Video credit: David Baillot / UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering
Seismic Response of Rail Embankments JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-18 | Axel Yarahuaman Chamorro was awarded the Structural Engineering Best Poster award at Research Expo 2022 for his poster titled Seismic Response of Rail Embankments. Read more:
A Highly Compact and Efficient Integrated Power Converter for 30% Size Reduction JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-18 | Tianshi Xie was awarded the Electrical & Computer Engineering Department Best Poster award at Research Expo 2022 for his poster titled A 0.66 W/MM2 Power Density, 92.4% Peak Efficiency Hybrid Converter with nH-Scale Inductors for 12V System.Read More:
IC Obfuscation through Sequential History to Combat Reverse Engineering & Fault in Injection Attacks JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-18 | Leon Li was awarded the Computer Science & Engineering Department Best Poster Award at Research Expo 2022 for his poster titled IC Obfuscation through Sequential History to Combat Reverse Engineering and Fault in Injection Attacks.Read more:
Toward a Genetic Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by RNA End-Joining JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-18 | Ryan Hsu was awarded the Shu and K.C. Chien Best Poster in the Department of Bioengineering at Research Expo for his poster titled Toward a Genetic Therapy for Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy by RNA End-Joining.Read more:
Research Expo 2022 Outstanding Poster Award JacobsSchoolNews 2022-04-18 | Nanoengineering graduate student Tala Sidawi won the Lea Rudee Outstanding Poster Award at Research Expo for her poster titled Moisture Ingress and Distribution in Bifacial Silicon Photovoltaics. Read more:
Franklin Antonio Hall photo slideshow March 29, 2022 JacobsSchoolNews 2022-03-30 | A selection of new photos taken inside and around Franklin Antonio Hall on the UC San Diego campus. Learn more: https://fah.ucsd.edu/
The Jacobs School of Engineering is ranked Top 10, again! JacobsSchoolNews 2022-03-29 | The University of California San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering has ranked #10 in the nation in the influential U.S. News & World Report Rankings of Best Engineering Schools. This #10 ranking is up from #17 six years ago, and it's the third year in a row the Jacobs School of Engineering ranked within the top ten. Learn more: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3422
Concert hall acoustics for non-invasive ultrasound brain treatments JacobsSchoolNews 2022-03-22 | A team led by engineers at the University of California San Diego has developed a device that is a first step to enabling noninvasive, ultrasound-based therapies for the brain. For example, ultrasound waves are currently being used in clinical trials to treat epilepsy. More info: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3420
Steel Bridge team prepares for 2022 competition JacobsSchoolNews 2022-03-21 | On April 2, student teams from Southern California and Hawaii will gather on the UC San Diego campus to put together the strongest, lightest bridge made of steel in the shortest amount of time. Learn more about UC San Diego's Steel Bridge team and get involved:
Maritime RobotX Challenge JacobsSchoolNews 2022-03-01 | Engineering students at UC San Diego are preparing to compete in the Maritime RobotX Challenge in Australia in November 2022. In order to get there, they’ll have to turn the vessel into a completely autonomous system, capable of navigating to specific buoys, launching objects at a target, and working with a drone to map out the sea space, entirely on its own.Learn more: https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/feature/engineering-students-to-compete-in-international-maritime-robot-competition
From Community College to UC San Diego: A Bioengineering Transfer Students Perspective JacobsSchoolNews 2022-01-28 | Growing up in Gilroy, California, Dalila González Mejía knew she wanted to pursue higher education but didn't know how the process worked. After high school, she attended a community college and signed up for a transfer agreement program that would guarantee her a spot at UC San Diego. Once she arrived as a bioengineering student, she hit the ground running - getting involved with campus organizations, finding mentors, and participating in research projects. She shares her story including the importance of self care and advice for those just starting their college journeys.
A new method to make AI-generated voices more expressive JacobsSchoolNews 2022-01-06 | Researchers have found a way to make AI-generated voices, such as digital personal assistants, more expressive, with a minimum amount of training. The method, which translates text to speech, can also be applied to voices that were never part of the system’s training set.The team of computer scientists and electrical engineers from the University of California San Diego presented their work at the ACML 2021 conference, which took place online recently. Full story: bit.ly/voicecloning
2021 Jacobs School of Engineering Student Highlights JacobsSchoolNews 2021-12-21 | Our undergraduate engineering and computer science students made the most of 2021. Here are some highlights from the last year.
Themed Entertainment Association creates a Wonderland Haunted Maze JacobsSchoolNews 2021-12-10 | Students in the Themed Entertainment Association hosted a Wonderland-themed haunted maze that sold out in minutes. Engineers, cognitive scientists, and students from all across campus interested in theme park design spent a year planning the event, which included complicated technical elements, animatronics, hand-made art and spooky sound and light effects.
UC San Diego students make it to the autonomous evGrandPrix finals JacobsSchoolNews 2021-09-30 | A group of UC San Diego engineering and data science students was one of three teams to make it to the final round of the inaugural autonomous EV GrandPrix go-kart race hosted by Purdue University in Indianapolis on Sept. 17.
This bioinspired steerable catheter for brain surgery is the first of its kind JacobsSchoolNews 2021-08-18 | A team of engineers and physicians has developed a steerable catheter that for the first time will give neurosurgeons the ability to steer the device in any direction they want while navigating the brain’s arteries and blood vessels. The device was inspired by nature, specifically insect legs and flagella--tail-like structures that allow microscopic organisms such as bacteria to swim. The team from the University of California San Diego describes the breakthrough in the Aug. 18 issue of Science Robotics. More: bit.ly/SciRocatheterVideo: MMGM Studio
NSF makes $20 Million investment in Optimization-focused AI Research Institute led by UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2021-07-30 | The National Science Foundation invested $20 million to establish The Institute for Learning-enabled Optimization at Scale (TILOS), which will be led by UC San Diego. TILOS is one of 11 new artificial intelligence research institutes launched by the NSF.Learn more: https://ucsdnews.ucsd.edu/pressrelease/TILOS_announcement
Fingertip-powered wearable JacobsSchoolNews 2021-07-13 | A new wearable device turns the touch of a finger into a source of power for small electronics and sensors. Engineers at the University of California San Diego developed a thin, flexible strip that can be worn on a fingertip and generate small amounts of electricity when a person’s finger sweats or presses on it. What’s special about this sweat-fueled device is that it generates power even while the wearer is asleep or sitting still -- no exercise required! Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3304CreditsFootage: Lu Yin and Jong-Min MoonEdit: Liezel Labios / David BaillotSweating finger clip: Courtesy of Shared Materials Instrumentation Facility at Duke UniversityMusic: Nine Lives by Unicorn Heads
Happy 90th Birthday, Dr. Shu Chien! JacobsSchoolNews 2021-06-22 | Happy 90th birthday to pioneering bioengineer Shu Chien. Chien made many foundational scientific discoveries over the course of his 62-year academic career, and was a galvanizing force in the creation of our UC San Diego Department of Bioengineering, which has consistently been top-ranked globally.Learn more about Chien: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/2878
World’s largest outdoor earthquake simulator undergoes major upgrade JacobsSchoolNews 2021-06-09 | A major upgrade of the world’s largest outdoor earthquake simulator reached a milestone mid-April when the facility’s floor--all 300000 lbs of steel--was put back in place. When completed this fall, the simulator will have the ability to reproduce multi-dimensional earthquake motions with unprecedented accuracy to make structures and their residents safer during a temblor. The simulator, or shake table, will be able to test the heaviest and tallest structures to gauge how well they would withstand various earthquakes. The first test following the upgrade will feature a full-scale, 10-story, cross-laminated timber building.Learn more: World's largest outdoor earthquake simulator undergoes major upgradehttps://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3292More earthquake shake table news from the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineeringhttps://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/shaketable/press-releases
Infrared imager sees blood vessels JacobsSchoolNews 2021-05-27 | This infrared imager developed by UC San Diego engineers can be used to easily locate an individual's blood vessels. The infrared imager is slim, compact and simple, whereas existing infrared imaging technologies are bulky and require an external camera and computer to work.Full story: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3274
Improved maps for self-driving vehicles win Research Expo 2021 JacobsSchoolNews 2021-05-25 | Computer science Ph.D. students David Paz-Ruiz and Hengyuan Zhang took the top prize, the Lea Rudee Outstanding Poster Award, in addition to the Best Poster Award for the Department of Computer Science and Engineering. Their work focuses on improving the maps that self-driving vehicles use to navigate the world. They worked under the direction of Henrik Christensen, director of UC San Diego’s Contextual Robotics Institute and a professor in the computer science department.More: bit.ly/re2021winners
2021 Bioengineering Senior Design Projects JacobsSchoolNews 2021-05-20 | A few examples of what our bioengineering student teams were able to develop for their senior design projects. Learn more about the capstone design course sequence: http://bioengineering.ucsd.edu/industry/senior-design-projectsVideo editing by Daniel Sosa-Cobo
The Wave Beneath Their Wings JacobsSchoolNews 2021-04-21 | The intricate dance between waves, wind, and gliding pelicans is worked out for the first time It’s a common sight: pelicans gliding along the waves, right by the shore. These birds make this kind of surfing look effortless, but actually the physics involved that give them a big boost are not simple. Researchers at the University of California San Diego have recently developed a theoretical model that describes how the ocean, the wind and the birds in flight interact in a recent paper in Movement Ecology.Visit https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3261 for more info.Video: Simone Staff
Franklin Antonio Hall virtual tour JacobsSchoolNews 2021-04-16 | A virtual tour of Franklin Antonio Hall narrated by Albert P. Pisano, Dean of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. Learn more at: http://fah.ucsd.edu/
#9 in the nation: animated: Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2021-03-30 | Thank You staff, students and faculty of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering. The excellence and momentum reflected in the new US News Rankings are due to your hard work and great talent. (Video voice over by Jacobs School Dean Albert P. Pisano)Learn more: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3251
#9 in the USA: Jacobs School of Engineering at UC San Diego JacobsSchoolNews 2021-03-30 | Albert P. Pisano, dean of the UC San Diego Jacobs School of Engineering, shares some thoughts on why it's important to leverage the School's rising reputation for the greater good of society. Learn more: https://jacobsschool.ucsd.edu/news/release/3251
