After two days of interviewing and filming and a week of work by Uprooted Productions, we are excited to share the story of our team:
Uncategorized
Morphing drones: Hartl and team develop enabling fluid-structure interaction method
A team from Texas A&M developed a novel fluid-structure interaction algorithm to aid the Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory create a morphing drone | Image: Getty Images
Researchers in the Combat Capabilities Development Command Army Research Laboratory are working to develop a drone with the ability to morph while in flight to better fit its mission — for example, shortening and lengthening the wing for efficiency and speed. To begin their work, they turned to the expertise of researchers at Texas A&M University for assistance with the complex analysis and design stage. (Original Story) (Also shared on foxnews.com here).
Retro Rocket VR Flight Simulator team advised by Hartl completes capstone design
The team of Aerospace Engineering Senior Design Capstone students reviewed in a previous post has completed their project. Their work has been summarized in a comprehensive video published this week. Work will continue in the fall as the Aerospace and Mechanical Engineering team efforts are combined into a single software/hardware final project.
MAESTRO Master Students becomes NSF Graduate Fellow
Hannah Stroud is a second year Master of Science student advised by Drs. Hartl and Shryock. Her masters work focuses on FEA modeling of knitted shape memory alloy structures. She proposed augmenting this work to the NSF GRFP: Through methods of non-linear substructuring in FEA, efficient analyses of functional, patterned fabrics can be performed. Hannah also highlighted her department involvement and commitment to STEM outreach with initiatives such as the Pitch Up! Competition, Camp SOAR activities, and demonstration development for the Physics and Engineering Festival.
Senior design team advised by Hartl completes successful design review
Senior Aerospace Engineering students embrace the 50’s as they work to repurpose a vintage space structure into a VR flight simulator.
Earlier this fall, Dr. Hartl teamed with Jim Mabe of Boeing and Eric Schulte, a local business owner, to initiate a project to convert a vintage 1950’s carnival ride rocket car into a virtual reality (VR) flight simulator for K-12 STEM outreach. The Aerospace Engineering senior capstone design team sponsored by Hartl to develop and deploy this experience has recently completed their critical design review and will move forward with the project.
[Read more…] about Senior design team advised by Hartl completes successful design review
Dr. Hartl featured on NASA morphing supersonic aircraft podcast
NASA put out a call for a university-led initiative to return to commercial supersonic flight, a challenge Texas A&M University answered. Dr. Darren Hartl, assistant professor in the Department of Aerospace Engineering, shares how the research team is developing adaptive materials to reduce the noise of planes traveling faster than the speed of sound.
[Read more…] about Dr. Hartl featured on NASA morphing supersonic aircraft podcast
Large NASA grant to MAESTRO and collaborators helps shape-shifting metals transform lunar missions
Patrick Walgren, current aerospace engineering Ph.D. student at Texas A&M, working on a morphing radiator prototype in the Multifunctional Materials and Aerospace Structures Optimization (MAESTRO) Lab. | Image: Texas A&M Engineering
Like the weather in Texas, the moon’s temperature varies drastically over the course of its day and night cycle. The moon’s surface can reach scorching temperatures as high as 250 degrees F during the day and a frigid 208 degrees below zero at night.
MAESTRO Undergraduate Researcher Wins Scholarship
Brady Allen and Jacob Collins, undergraduate students in the Department of Aerospace Engineering at Texas A&M University, recently won the 2019 CAF Wings Over Houston Scholarship. Brady, an undergraduate researcher in the MAESTRO Lab, was recommended for the scholarship by Dr. Hartl.
Brady Allen stands with Debby Rihn-Harvey, scholarship committee chair, in front of her plane at the Wings Over Houston Airshow. | Image: Brady Allen
[Read more…] about MAESTRO Undergraduate Researcher Wins Scholarship
US patent granted for shape memory alloy morphing radiator
Early in march, the US Patent Office assigned patent number US10228197 for a patent entitled “Variable Heat Rejection Device” that protects intellectual property associated with the SMA-based morphing radiator project. Inventors included Dr. Darren Hartl and his collaborators at NASA and Paragon Space Development Corporation.
[Read more…] about US patent granted for shape memory alloy morphing radiator
Hartl breaks 3000 citation mark
Only three years after returning to the Texas A&M Department of Aerospace Engineering as a tenure-track faculty member in August of 2016, Dr. Hartl has reached the 3000 citation mark (as per Google Scholar).
With an h-index of 20 and with 50 publications having over 10 citations, Dr. Hartl continues to work with his students to make an impact on the smart materials and adaptive structures community in particular. Highly cited publications from the MAESTRO Lab address such topics as shape memory alloys, active origami, and multi-functional composites. Newer papers have addressed fracture and fatigue of shape memory alloy materials as well as new topological design methods and actuator concepts.
2019 Global Grand Challenge Summit
Senior undergraduate student Jessica Zamarripa recently attended the Global Grand Challenge Summit in London, UK from September 12-18. The event convened inspirational world leaders with the next generation of engineers and change makers to build a creative collaboration environment to help solve the grand challenges facing our world. The summit focused on answering the questions of whether we can sustain 10 billion people and will AI/other transformational technologies change humanity for the better. She spent her time networking with representatives from industry and academia (including the COE of Deka Research and Development, former president of the National Academy of Engineers, President of the Namibia Society of Engineers, etc.), participated in the student collaboration lab, and attended several seminars that discussed different world issues.