2021-2022 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering Centers, Facilities, and Laboratories

The Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering department has a number of experimental centers, facilities, and laboratories at which both fundamental and applied research is being conducted. See the department website research tab for details.

Active Materials Laboratory

Gregory P. Carman, Director

The Active Materials Laboratory contains equipment to evaluate the coupled response of materials such as piezoelectric, magnetostrictive, shape memory alloys, and fiber-optic sensors. The laboratory has manufacturing facilities to fabricate magnetostrictive composites and thin film shape memory alloys. Testing active material systems is performed on one of four servo-hydraulic load frames in the lab. All of the load frames are equipped with thermal chambers, solenoids, and electrical power supplies.

Additive Manufacturing and Metamaterials Laboratory

Xiaoyu (Rayne) Zheng, Director

The Additive Manufacturing and Metamaterials Laboratory performs research on additive manufacturing and material designs for structural and multifunctional devices. It draws principles from mechanics, optics, and materials science to develop the next generation of additive manufacturing (3D printing) processes, material design, and synthesis approaches to create multifunctional materials and all-in-one devices with controlled topologies, compositions, and multiscale features. It also develops methods to leverage artificial intelligence and rapid printing techniques to design metamaterials with tailorable mechanical and functional behaviors. These materials can be transferred to a wide array of applications for 3D electronics, structures, robotics, energy storage, and transduction; even biology and health care. The lab houses custom, scalable additive manufacturing capabilities and digital light-processing techniques for a wide range of multimaterials, with feature sizes ranging from tens of nanometers, to tens of centimeters, and above.

Anatomical Engineering Group

Tyler R. Clites, Director

The group researches anatomics, the coengineering of body and machine in pursuit of synergistic bionic performance. The research combines surgical and mechanical design to codevelop body and machine. The long-term goal of the work is to transform the field of human rehabilitation and augmentation by making anatomics a fundamental tenet of bionic development.

Autonomous Vehicle Systems Instrumentation Laboratory (AVSIL)

Jason L. Speyer, Director

AVSIL is a testbed for design, building, evaluation, and testing of hardware instrumentation and coordination algorithms for multiple vehicle autonomous systems. AVSIL contains a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) simulator—designed and built at UCLA—that allows for real-time, systems-level tests of two formation control computer systems in a laboratory environment, using the Interstate Electronics Corporation GPS Satellite Constellation Simulator. The UCLA flight control software can be modified to accommodate satellite-system experiments using real-time software, GPS receivers, and intervehicle modem communication.

Beam Control Laboratory

James S. Gibson, Director

The Beam Control Laboratory involves students, faculty, and postdoctoral scholars to develop novel methods for laser-beam control in applications including directed energy systems and laser communications. Algorithms developed at UCLA for adaptive and optimal control and filtering, as well as system identification, are being used in adaptive optics and beam steering. UCLA high-bandwidth controllers correct both higher-order wavefront errors and tilt jitter to levels not achievable by classical beam control methods.

Boiling Heat Transfer Laboratory

Vijay K. Dhir, Director

The laboratory performs experimental and computational studies of phase-change phenomena. It is equipped with various flow loops, state-of-the-art data acquisition systems, holography, high-speed imaging systems, and a gamma densitometer.

Biomechatronics Laboratory

Veronica J. Santos, Director

The Biomechatronics Laboratory is dedicated to improving quality of life by enhancing the functionality of artificial hands and their control in human-machine systems. The research is advancing the design and control of human-machine systems as well as autonomous robotic systems. Current research projects involve human biomechanics, tactile sensing, control of robotic systems, and machine learning.

Bionics Laboratory

Jacob Rosen, Director

The Bionics Laboratory performs research at the interface between robotics, biological systems, and medicine. Primary research fields are medical robotics and biorobotics, including surgical robotics; and wearable robotics as they apply to human motor control, neural control, human- and brain-machine interfaces, motor control (stroke) rehabilitation, brain plasticity, haptics, virtual reality, tele-operation, and biomechanics (full-body kinematics and dynamics, and soft/hard tissues biomechanics).

Center for Translational Applications of Nanoscale Multiferroic Systems (TANMS)

Gregory P. Carman, Director

TANMS is a multi-institutional engineering research center (ERC) focused on research, technology translation, and education associated with magnetism on the small scale. The TANMS vision is to develop a fundamentally new approach that couples electricity to magnetism using engineered nanoscale multiferroic elements, to enable increased energy efficiency, reduced physical size, and increased power output in consumer electronics. This new approach overcomes scaling limitations present Oersted’s magnetism control discovery of 1820. TANMS goal is to translate its research discoveries to industry while seamlessly integrating a cradle-to-career education philosophy involving its students, and future engineers, in unique research and entrepreneurial experiences.

Chen Research Group

Yong Chen, Director

The Chen Research Group studies nanofabrication, nano-scale electronic materials and devices, micro-nano electronic/optical/bio/mechanical systems, and ultra-scale spatial and temporal characterization.

Collaborative Center for Aerospace Sciences (CCAS)

Ann R. Karagozian, Director

CCAS is a multi- and trans-disciplinary research center focused on fundamental and applied basic studies relevant to aerospace systems. Research projects that broadly span the computational and experimental arenas are conducted at UCLA and at the Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL/RQR) at Edwards Air Force Base, about 90 miles northeast of campus. UCLA faculty, students, and postdoctoral researchers collaborate with AFRL scientists and engineers on high-impact problems to advance U.S. capabilities in aerospace systems.

Complex Fluids and Interfacial Physics Laboratory

H. Pirouz Kavehpour, Director

The Complex Fluids and Interfacial Physics Laboratory is multidisciplinary, with areas of research ranging from rheology of biofluids to energy storage. The group is directed towards development of fundamental engineering and scientific knowledge.

Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory (Taira Lab)

Kunihiko (Sam) Taira, Director

The Computational Fluid Dynamics Laboratory studies a variety of fluid mechanics problems with research interests in the areas of computational fluid dynamics, flow control, data science, network theory, and unsteady aerodynamics. The studies leverage numerical simulations performed on high-performance computers.

Cybernetic Control Laboratory (CyCLab)

Tetsuya Iwasaki, Director

CyCLab investigates the neuronal mechanisms for information processing and learning. It also develops fundamental theories for analysis and design of dynamical feedback systems, with applications to bio-inspired robotic vehicles, assistive devices for human movements, and neurorehabilitation after spinal cord injury.

Davoyan Research Laboratory (A-Lab)

Artur Davoyan, Director

The laboratory is focused on nanoscale materials for space and energy applications. Research topics encompass space exploration, device physics, and sustainability.

Design and Manufacturing Laboratory

The laboratory offers an environment for synergistic integration of design and manufacturing. Available equipment includes four CNC machines, two rapid-prototyping systems, coordinate measuring, X-ray radiography, robots with vision systems, audiovisual equipment, and a distributed network of more than 30 workstations.

Dynamic Nucleic Acid Systems Laboratory

Elisa Franco, Director

The Dynamic Nucleic Acid Systems Laboratory develops mathematical models and experimental platforms to build adaptive and dynamic biological devices using DNA, RNA, and proteins. The results have applications in materials science, nanotechnology, and synthetic biology.

Energy and Propulsion Research Laboratory

Ann R. Karagozian, Director

The Energy and Propulsion Research Laboratory applies modem diagnostic methods and computational tools to the development of advanced rocket and airbreathing propulsion as well as energy systems. Research involves applications of fundamental fluid mechanics, combustion chemistry, dynamical systems, and optics.

Energy Innovation Laboratory

Richard E. Wirz, Director

The Energy Innovation Laboratory investigates high-impact renewable energy science and technology. Its current work primarily focuses on large-scale thermal energy storage for grid-scale applications and advanced wind energy capture.

Flexible Research Group

Jonathan B. Hopkins, Director

The Flexible Research Group is dedicated to the design and fabrication of flexible structures, mechanisms, and materials that achieve extraordinary capabilities. The laboratory is equipped with state-of-the-art synthesis tools, optimization software, and a number of commercial and custom-developed additive fabrication technologies for fabricating complex flexible structures at the macro- to nano-scales.

Fusion Science and Technology Center

Mohamed A. Abdou, Director

The Fusion Science and Technology Center includes experimental facilities for conducting research in fusion science and engineering, and multiple scientific disciplines in thermofluids, thermomechanics, heat/mass transfer, and materials interactions. The center includes experimental facilities for liquid metal magnetohydrodynamic fluid flow, thick and thin liquid metal systems exposed to intense particle and heat flux loads, and metallic and ceramic material thermomechanics.

Ho Systems Laboratory – Personalized Medicine

Chih-Ming Ho, Director

The Ho Systems Laboratory researches phenotypic personalized medicine (PPM). It has discovered that drug-dose inputs are correlated with phenotypic outputs with a parabolic response surface (PRS). With a few calibration tests to determine the coefficients of its governing algebraic quadratic equation, PRS dictates the composition and ratio of a globally optimized drug combination. Based on the PRS platform, PPM can realize unprecedented adaptability to identify the optimized drug combination for a specific patient. PRS is an indication-agnostic and mechanism-free platform technology, which has been successfully demonstrated in about 30 diseases.

Hu Research Laboratory (H-Lab)

Yongjie Hu, Director

H-Lab is focused on understanding and engineering fundamental transport phenomena and new materials for wide applications including energy conversion, storage, aerospace, electronics, thermal management, micro/nano sensors, and biomedical devices. The laboratory uses a variety of experimental and theoretical techniques to investigate nanoscale transport processes and develop device applications, with a particular emphasis on design, chemical synthesis, and manufacturing of advanced materials, ultrafast optical spectroscopy, pulsed electronics, thermal spectral mapping techniques, ab initio calculations, and atomistic modeling.

Hypersonics and Computational Aerodynamics Group

Xiaolin Zhong, Director

The Hypersonics and Computational Aerodynamics Group primarily focuses on fundamental physics-based research of hyper-sonic flows using advanced numerical tools; and application of discovered fundamental knowledge to real-world aerospace systems, such as development of hypersonic planes and space vehicles. Its main research areas are computational fluid dynamics (CFD), hypersonic flows, instability and transition of hypersonic boundary layers, interaction of strong shocks and turbulence, and numerical simulation of wave energy harvesting.

Laser Spectroscopy and Gas Dynamics Laboratory

Raymond M. Spearrin, Director

The Laser Spectroscopy and Gas Dynamics Laboratory conducts research driven by applications in propulsion and energy, with extensions to health and environment. Laboratory activities are united by a core focus in experimental thermofluids and applied spectroscopy. Projects commonly span fundamental spectroscopy science to design and deployment of prototype sensors to investigate dynamic flow-fields.

Living Soft Material Engineering Laboratory (Lin Lab)

Yen-Chih (Neil) Lin, Director

Lin Lab research looks at developing 3D biological tissues that mimic the geometric structure, mechanical properties, and functionality of human organs. Major research focuses include development of live cell imaging tools, cell mechanics measurements, and tissue manufacturing methods. This research could lead to detailed and complex model tissues for drug screening; and ultimately, artificial organs that could be transplanted into humans.

Materials Degradation Characterization Laboratory

Ajit K. Mal, Director

The Materials Degradation Characterization Laboratory is used for characterization of the degradation of high-strength metallic alloys and advanced composites due to corrosion and fatigue, determination of adverse effects of materials degradation on the strength of structural components, and research on fracture mechanics and ultrasonic nondestructive evaluation.

Materials in Extreme Environments Laboratory (MATRIX)

Nasr M. Ghoniem, Director

MATRIX seeks answers to two fundamental questions: What are the physical phenomena that control the mechanical properties of engineering materials operating in extreme environmental conditions; and knowing such behavior, can we design engineering materials to be more resilient.

Mechanics of Soft Materials Laboratory

Lihua Jin, Director

The Mechanics of Soft Materials Laboratory investigates the fundamental physics and mechanics of soft materials, such as their constitutive relation, nonlinear deformation, instability, and fracture. The laboratory also strives to develop new materials, structures, and functions for soft robotics and stretchable electronics.

Mechatronics and Controls Laboratory

Tsu-Chin Tsao, Director

The Mechatronics and Controls Laboratory conducts research in theory and innovation in dynamic systems, controls, mechatronics, and robotics. It creates high-performance systems with novel sensors, actuators, and real-time digital signal processing and embedded control. Applications include precision motion and vibration control, manufacturing equipment and processes, medical devices, and robots.

Micro and Nano Manufacturing Laboratory

Chang-Jin (CJ) Kim, Director

The Micro and Nano Manufacturing Laboratory explores physical phenomena unique in submillimeter scale, and utilizes microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) technologies to advance important knowledge and create useful applications. Surface tension is one such phenomenon, which led to cutting-edge discoveries and revolutionary applications, some commercialized. Research themes include electrowetting-on-dielectric (EWOD), electro-dewetting, droplets and bubbles, and superhydrophobic surfaces; and application areas include droplet (digital) microfluidics, micro fuel cells, and drag reduction of liquid flows. Typical research starts with a novel concept, and completes with application devices of commercial implication. The laboratory has various equipment to complement the Nanolab (e.g., fume hood, modular cleanroom, environment chambers, probe stations, microscopes, dicing saw, electroplating setup, and interference lithography); and facilitate drag-reduction research (e.g., water tunnel and molding setup), including a 13-foot motorboat at a local marina.

Modeling of Complex Thermal Systems Laboratory

Adrienne G. Lavine, Director

The Modeling of Complex Thermal Systems Laboratory addresses a variety of systems in which heat transfer plays an important role. Thermal aspects of these systems are coupled with other physical phenomena such as mechanical or electrical behavior. Modeling tools range from analytical to custom computer codes to commercial software.

Morrin-Gier-Martinelli Heat Transfer Memorial Laboratory

Laurent G. Pilon, Director

The heat transfer laboratory is engaged in a broad range of interdisciplinary research projects at the intersection of interfacial and transport phenomena, radiation transfer, material science, and biology for sustainable solar energy conversion; waste heat energy harvesting; electrical energy storage; and energy efficient buildings. The laboratory features state-of-the-art equipment for material synthesis and characterization such as glove boxes and high-temperature furnaces, potentiostats, calori-meters, and thermal conductivity analyzers. It is also equipped with a full set of instruments for optical characterization of solids, liquids, and suspensions from ultraviolet to infrared wavelengths (e.g., spectrometers, lasers, and detection systems). The laboratory also has various instrumented flow loops for rheological and convective heat transfer experiments with complex fluids.

Multiscale Thermosciences Laboratory (MTSL)

Y. Sungtaek Ju, Director

MTSL is focused on heat and mass transfer phenomena at the nano- to macro-scales. A wide variety of applications are explored, including novel materials and devices for energy conversion; combined cooling, heating, and power generation; thermal management of electronics and buildings; energy-water nexus; and biomedical MEMS/NEMS devices.

Nanoscale Transport Research Group (NTRG)

Timothy S. Fisher, Director

The Nanoscale Transport Research Group works on a broad range of problems, primarily involving transport processes by electrons, phonons, photons, and fluids. It seeks to solve problems with high importance to applications in energy transport, conversion, and storage, that are relevant to major industrial segments (aerospace, micro/nanoelectronics, and sensors). The laboratory solves these problems through a holistic, balanced approach that spans nanomaterial synthesis, basic material characterization and modeling, and functional characterization and simulation. The group includes the Center for Integrated Thermal Management of Aerospace Vehicles (CITMAV), which develops new solutions to highly transient transport problems that occur in aerospace applications.

Optofluidics Systems Laboratory

Eric Pei-Yu Chiou, Director

The Optofluidics Systems Laboratory develops heterogeneously integrated functional devices and systems for biomedical applications. Research areas include integrated photonics and fluidics devices; 3D micro- and nano-manufacturing technologies; and flexible mechanical, photonics, and electronics systems.

Pilon Research Group

Laurent G. Pilon, Director

The Pilon Research Group researches photobiological fuel production, mesoporous materials, electrochemical capacitors, waste heat energy harvesting, foams/microfoams, biomedical optics, and energy efficiency.

Plasma and Beam Assisted Manufacturing Laboratory

The laboratory is an experimental facility for processing and manufacturing advanced materials by high-energy means (plasma and beam sources). It is equipped with plasma diagnostics, two vortex gas tunnel plasma guns, powder feeder and exhaust systems, vacuum and cooling equipment, high-power DC supplies (400kw), vacuum chambers, and large electromagnets. Current research is focused on ceramic coatings and nano-phase clusters for applications in thermal insulation, wear resistance, and high-temperature oxidation resistance.

Plasma and Space Propulsion Laboratory

Richard E. Wirz, Director

The Plasma and Space Propulsion Laboratory investigates plasmas using a combination of experimental, computational, and theoretical perspectives. Its research is directly inspired by the rapidly emerging field of electric propulsion (EP). Other applications of its work include microplasmas, plasma processing, and fusion.

Robotics and Mechanisms Laboratory (RoMeLa)

Dennis W. Hong, Director

RoMeLa is a facility for robotics research and education with an emphasis on studying humanoid robots and novel mobile robot locomotion strategies. Research is in the areas of robot locomotion and manipulation, soft actuators, platform design, kinematics and mechanisms, and autonomous systems. RoMeLa is active in research-based international robotics competitions, winning numerous prizes including third place in the DARPA Urban Challenge. The laboratory also took first place in the RoboCup international autonomous robot soccer competition (kid-size and adult-size humanoid divisions), and was world champion five times in a row. It also brought the prestigious Louis Vuitton Cup Best Humanoid award to the U.S. for the first time, and most recently was one of six Track A teams chosen to participate in the DARPA Robotics Challenge disaster response robot competition.

Scifacturing Laboratory

Xiaochun Li, Director

The Scifacturing Laboratory furnishes a creative, interdisciplinary platform for science-driven manufacturing (scifacturing) as the next level of manufacturing. It seeks to enable application of physics and chemistry to empower breakthroughs in manufacturing. The laboratory links molecular, nano-, and micro-scale knowledge to scalable processes/systems in manufacturing and materials processing. Current focus areas include scale-up nanomanufacturing, solidification nanoprocessing of super-materials with dense nanoparticles, structurally integrated micro- and nano-systems (especially sensors and actuators) for manufacturing, clean energy and biomedical manufacturing, meso/micro 3D printing, and laser materials processing.

Sensors and Instrumentation Laboratory

Robert T. M’Closkey, Director

The Sensors and Instrumentation Laboratory focuses on the design, fabrication, modeling, and testing of microscale sensors, notably coriolis vibratory gyroscopes. The laboratory offers the opportunity to conduct leading-edge analytical and experimental research in state-of-the-art facilities.

Simulations of Flow Physics and Acoustics Laboratory (SOFiA)

Jeffrey D. Eldredge, Director

The SOFiA Laboratory explores a wide variety of phenomena that occur in fluid flows in nature and technology. It investigates low-order modeling of unsteady aerodynamics of agile, bio-inspired, micro-air vehicles; microparticle manipulation by viscous streaming; the fluid dynamics of biological and biologically-inspired locomotion; interactions of fluid flows with flexible surfaces; transitional and turbulent hypersonic boundary layer flows; vortex estimation techniques for autonomous control of formation flight; and new computational tools for simulation of biomedical flows.

Smart Grid Energy Research Center (SMERC)

Rajit Gadh, Director

SMERC performs research; creates innovations; and demonstrates advanced Internet-of-Things, sense-and-control technologies, and data-enabled machine learning to enable development of the next-generation electric utility grid—the smart grid. SMERC also furnishes thought leadership through its ESmart Consortium between utilities, government, policy makers, technology providers, electric vehicle manufacturers, energy technology companies, Department of Energy research laboratories, and universities, so as to collectively work on envisioning, planning, and executing the smart grid of the future. This grid will enable integration of renewable energy sources. It will also reduce losses; improve efficiencies; increase grid flexibility; allow for integration of electric and autonomous vehicles; reduce power outages; allow for competitive energy pricing; and overall become more responsive to market, consumer, and societal needs. SMERC is currently working on electric vehicle integration (G2V and V2G), automated demand response (ADR), microgrids, distributed energy resources, renewable integration, battery energy storage integration, and autonomous vehicle infrastructure.

Thin Films, Interfaces, Composites, Characterization Laboratory

Vijay Gupta, Director

The Thin Films, Interfaces, Composites, Characterization Laboratory includes a Nd:YAG laser of 1 Joule capacity with 3 ns pulse widths; a state-of-the-art optical interferometer including an ultra-high-speed digitizer, sputter deposition chamber, 56 Kip-capacity servohydraulic biaxial test frame, and polishing and imaging equipment for microstructural characterization; for measurement and control study of thin film interface strength.