News

Sometimes, complex physics hides within mundane fixtures of daily life – like a bathroom. Researchers in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering are applying groundbreaking physics to tackle an annoying problem: urinal splashback. They recently published their work developing new urinal designs in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS) Nexus  (with a few fun puns in the process). The research also collaborated with a team at Weber State University in Utah. Their new technology will allow users to void without voiding their pants.  

Researchers in MME have developed a device that generates enough energy to power a calculator, using a versatile food—walnuts.  

A palm-sized device created by researchers within our department detects E. coli in water supplies to reduce illness and save lives.

Co-led by professors Dr. Beth Weckman and Dr. Vinny Gupta, the University of Waterloo Fire Research Facility (UWFRF) is dedicated to fire research and education on safety. The team has been examining how wildfires are evolving and identifying new measures that need to be taken to combat these fires and protect communities.  

Joseph Nonso Orakwe, a PhD candidate in MME, was the winner of the 2024/2025 ASME K-16 Committee on Heat Transfer in Electronic Equipment and EPS - IEEE Electronics Packaging Society Student Cold Plate Design Competition, along with a student at the University of Alberta, and their supervisors, which included Dr. Ehsan Toyserkani within the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering and director of the Multi-Scale Manufacturing (MSAM) Lab.   

Ahmed Shahin, a PhD student in mechanical and mechatronics engineering, has received the prestigious Vanier Canada Graduate Scholarship—one of the top graduate scholarships in the country. The award is presented to exceptional graduate students. It is valued at $50,000 per year for up to three years, supporting doctoral students who demonstrate strong research potential, leadership, and academic excellence.  

Maryam Soleimani, a senior PhD candidate in the Department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering, has received three prestigious awards over the last few years: two CWB Foundation Graduate Scholarships and the Nanofellowship Award. 

Team SERA, a new collaboration between the Active and Interactive Robotics (AIR) Lab and the Orthopaedic Mechatronics (ORTHOtron) lab, led by Jeffrey Lee (MASc Candidate), Teresa Marotta (MASc Candidate), Dr. Stewart McLachlin, and Dr. Yue Hu from the department of Mechanical and Mechatronics Engineering has been established to combine the expertise of both labs for a new surgical robotics project for the international KUKA Innovation Award 2025 - Medical Robotics Challenge 2.0.

Physics laws that were previously thought to be impossible have been made possible by researchers within the Micro Nano-Scale Transport Lab.

Dr. Carolyn Ren, a professor in our department, leads the Waterloo Microfluidics Laboratory, a place where students at all levels can contribute to the research and development of innovative technologies that improve lives.