Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering Archives

A robotic arm mimics the movements of a human hand

The robotics team advances to the semifinals of a global competition

Northeastern’s squad is among 37 teams from 15 countries to make it to the semifinals of a $10 million contest.

by Peter Ramjug September 3, 2021

Can a robot seal air leaks to help this old (and cold) house?

Northeastern won a $200,000 award from the U.S. Energy Department to scale up a model that could one day help with the back-breaking work of filling in energy-wasting air leaks in the crawl spaces of old homes.

by Peter Ramjug August 24, 2021

Man wearing a mechanical claw on his right arm

Nimble robotic arms that perform delicate surgery may be one step closer to reality

Northeastern researchers have discovered a way to reduce the friction that causes stiffness in robotic arms. New technology makes the arms lighter and more graceful, offering hope for remote surgery and other applications where safety is paramount.

by Peter Ramjug July 23, 2021

A new wave of COVID-19 infections is surging through Africa. These students want to help.

Africa just marked its worst pandemic week ever. Vaccine shipments to the continent are rolling out slowly. The new president and vice president of Northeastern’s African student club are trying to figure out the best way to lend a hand.

by Peter Ramjug July 12, 2021

These engineering students are heading to Europe to grow robotics relationships

A team of robotics students is headed to an elite summer program in Europe. They hope to share what they have learned with others. Northeastern was one of several international universities with renowned robotics programs chosen for the inaugural collaborative effort.

by Peter Ramjug July 9, 2021

He created his own global co-op during the pandemic

The coronavirus initially threw a wrench into Saul Blain’s dreams of a co-op abroad, so the electrical engineering major with a desire to work in a Spanish-speaking country cold-emailed 30 renewable energy companies in Latin America until he found one that said yes. “Throw a bunch of feelers out there until you find something,” he recommends.

by Peter Ramjug May 12, 2021

Jean Philippe, left, will get vaccinated when he returns home to New York, while Iris Cotrupi, center, and Zach Stanziano, right, have each received one of two doses. “Just go get it,” Stanziano urges others. Photos by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

‘Just go get it.’ Students who have received the COVID-19 vaccine encourage others to get their shots

Some Northeastern students have already received the first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, others are about to get fully inoculated. Now that everyone in the U.S. 16 years of age and older is eligible, students are encouraging others to roll up their sleeves and protect the pack.

by Peter Ramjug April 21, 2021

Photo by Matthew Modoono/Northeastern University

What does 6G technology hold in store? Think remote surgery, shared virtual spaces, and robots that search for dirty bombs.

This is the world that the sixth-generation wireless network can unlock, says Tommaso Melodia, William Lincoln Smith chair professor of electrical and computer engineering at Northeastern. In October, his Institute for the Wireless Internet of Things will host a two-day virtual conference that will convene leaders from industry, academia, and government develop a roadmap for research and development for the successor to the 5G mobile network.

by Khalida Sarwari September 3, 2020

With a small ocean robot, Northeastern researchers produced high-resolution models of icebergs in Sermilik Fjord, Greenland. Photo courtesy Hanumant Singh

How to stop an iceberg in its tracks

In Greenland, icebergs are melting fast. With an ocean robot made by Northeastern professor Hanumant Singh, scientists are beginning to understand just how fast.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa February 27, 2020

A team of Northeastern students was recently selected by NASA to enter the Big Idea Challenge, and will receive a $90,000 award to develop a robotic system to help astronauts explore permanently shadowed regions of the moon. From left: Julian Morgen, Paige Butler, and María Belén Ou. Photo by Ruby Wallau/Northeastern University

NASA is going back to the moon. Northeastern University students are designing robots to explore the terrain.

Some parts of the moon never see the light, but they are full of resources that NASA could mine to settle on the lunar surface and venture beyond. The agency selected a team of Northeastern students to be part of the 2020 Big Idea Challenge, in which they will develop robotic systems to help survey the darkest areas of the moon.

by Roberto Molar Candanosa February 21, 2020