For those who are torn between biology and mechanics, we introduce you to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the field of biofluidics. We explain the possibilities of converging the two disciplines and the applications of related research.
Are you currently interested in both biology and mechanics, but can’t decide which one to pursue? Do you not want to give up either, but can’t see the relevance of the seemingly opposite concepts of biology and mechanics? Or are you currently studying biology but have become intrigued by the field of mechanics? If this sounds like you, I’m here to help. I’d like to give you a brief introduction to the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the sub-disciplines within it that are connected to biology.
The computer I’m using to write this article, the trains and airplanes that have transcended distance and brought us into the global age, the cell phones and televisions that have transcended space, all of these are things that have been created to make human life easier. These things are commonly referred to as machines, and in my department we study how to develop and improve them. When you think of machines, you probably think of complex blueprints, making parts, and assembling them. This is the field of design and manufacturing, and the theoretical basis is the four forces.
To understand the four dynamics, let’s use a car as an example: the body of a car needs to be stiff and absorb the impact of a collision, and the study of this is called solid mechanics. Dynamics is the part that studies the movement of the car using the engine and steering wheel. Thermodynamics is the study of how to use the heat from the explosion of oil in the engine part to use the power to move, and fluid dynamics is the study of how the air flows when the car is running and how to design the shape of the car to have less resistance. We have subdisciplines based on these four mechanics, and the one I’m going to talk about now is biofluidics, which includes biology, which is your area of interest, and is very much related to fluid dynamics.
It may seem strange that we study living things rather than rigid machines, but it’s an interdisciplinary field that looks at the dynamics around living things from a mechanical perspective. Biofluidics looks at the movement of fluids (liquids and gases in this case) in and around living things and studies what shapes can cause this flow, what movements of living things can change the flow of fluids, or how to apply the shapes or movements of living things to machines based on previous research.
For example, organisms such as flounder that are attached to the ground in the ocean depend on the speed of the water flow to stay attached to the ground, so we study problems such as how fast the water is flowing to lift the flounder off the ground. Another example is the familiar flicker. The idea is that the tiny hooks on the thorns attach to lasso-like fibers to spread seeds far and wide, so we developed a fastening device that has thousands of hooks on one side and thousands of lasso-like fibers on the other, so it doesn’t fall off easily. This is now used in shoes, bags, and watches, as well as spacecraft and aircraft.
There are many purposes for studying biofluidics. For example, it can be used to analyze the flow of blood within blood vessels to develop ways to prevent or treat cardiovascular disease. It can also be used to develop artificial lungs that mimic the human respiratory system. In this way, biofluidics can make a significant contribution to the medical field.
Furthermore, biofluidics research can also contribute to environmental protection and energy efficiency. For example, underwater robots that mimic the movements of fish could be developed and used to monitor or clean the marine environment, or the structure of bird wings could be studied to design more efficient airplanes.
The field of biofluidics can be further developed through the convergence of different disciplines. It requires knowledge from various fields such as biology, physics, chemistry, medicine, and engineering, which can lead to new technologies and innovations. In particular, biofluidics research can be made more sophisticated by utilizing artificial intelligence and big data analysis techniques.
So far, I have shown the field of biology combined with mechanics through biofluidics, one of the subjects of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering. I hope this will be helpful to those who are torn between biology and mechanics. Especially for those who have not yet chosen a major, if you have a good understanding or score in math and physics in middle and high school, and if you look at things from a mechanical perspective, such as “How does it move?” or “How can I get that kind of force?”, studying mechanical and aerospace engineering as a major may be an option.
The Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering provides students with a wide range of knowledge through various research and experiments that combine mechanics and biology. It also provides students with the opportunity to gain experience by solving real-world problems in laboratories and institutes. These courses help students develop creative and innovative problem-solving skills.
Finally, the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering offers a wide range of career options after graduation. You can work as a researcher, engineer, professor, medical device developer, and more. We invite you to discover new possibilities and realize your dreams through the convergence of biology and mechanics.
We hope this article has given you a deeper understanding of the Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering and the field of biofluidics and helped you decide on your own path. The possibilities at the intersection of biology and mechanics are endless, and we look forward to your challenge and enthusiasm.
