Media Watch
FDA Clears Makani Science’s Respiratory Monitor
Orange County Business Journal -
Makani Science is one step closer to commercial launch. The Irvine medtech company last month received 510(k) clearance from the Food and Drug Administration for its wireless, wearable respiratory monitor in adults. … Makani was co-founded in 2019 by Michelle Khine, a biomedical engineering professor at the University of California, Irvine, and her post-doctoral student Michael Chu, who is now chief technology officer. Read More
Researchers find drinking water is safe in Eaton, Palisades burn areas as utilities lift last ‘do not drink’ order
Los Angeles Times -
The utilities’ recommendation [is] to run all faucets in the entire house for at least five minutes to flush contaminants out of the lines before using the tap water. “I’m optimistic from these results,” said Chris Olivares, a professor of civil and environmental engineering at the University of California, Irvine, who has led the tap water-testing part of the LA Fire HEALTH Study. “The major takeaway, I think, is the importance of flushing.” Read More
A Battery Breakthrough Inspired by a Can of Compressed Air
UC San Diego Today -
A UC San Diego engineering alumnus reflects on how a chance curiosity about a can of compressed air, along with support across campus, fueled an innovation in battery technology. … We also used neighboring labs at UC Irvine for their TEM [transmission electron microscope] characterization as well. [The UC Irvine Materials Research Institute is supported in part by the NSF.] So it wasn’t only at UC San Diego, but also the network within the UC system that really helped us along. Read More
California’s RaccoonBot: Solar-Powered Robot Revolutionizes Remote Monitoring
Energy Innovation Review -
In the heart of California, researchers at the University of California, Irvine, are pioneering a technological marvel that could revolutionize environmental monitoring and energy management. Led by Efrain Mendez-Flores from the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering, the team has developed a solar-powered wire-traversing robot, aptly named RaccoonBot, designed to operate autonomously in remote areas for extended periods. Read More
San Clemente needs sand
LAist -
Brett Sanders, a professor at UC Irvine, said the study to find pockets of sand that can be used for beach replenishment is a “really great opportunity.” “ We have very limited data on the availability of sand along the coastline of southern Orange County,” Sanders said, adding that finding sand closer to San Clemente will open up savings for taxpayers. The beaches of Orange County, he added, are “enormously important for the economy of the region” as they drive tax revenue by attracting people to local hotels and restaurants. “When coastal communities look at the cost of maintaining the beaches, they look at the potential losses they might find in the future if they didn't have beaches,” Sanders said. Read More
UCI Robot Ecology Lab inspired by nature
Daily Pilot -
“The Robot Ecology Lab became the Robot Ecology Lab when we realized that these robots are in essence, living out in nature and they’re part of an ecosystem, and we started thinking about them almost like living organisms because they have to harvest energy while they’re out there, just like animals have to harvest food,” said Magnus Egerstedt, UCI dean of engineering and director of the UCI Robot Ecology Lab. “The whole kind of purpose now in the Robot Ecology Lab is teams of robots out in nature, trying to figure out what’s going on with the environment.” Read More
Iran Faces Widespread Land Subsidence Amid Escalating Water Emergency
Forbes -
Amir AghaKouchak, a professor of civil and environmental engineering and earth system sciences at the University of California, Irvine, told me in an interview that because land subsidence occurs in increments, the crisis is usually overlooked. “It lacks the dramatic visibility of acute disasters like earthquakes and floods, allowing authorities to underplay its risks,” says AghaKouchak. In Iran, “this invisibility is a key reason land subsidence remains on the sidelines in national disaster planning, despite its profound long-term consequences,” he adds. Read More
Shoring up coastal rail
LAist -
Suzie Whitelaw, president of Save Our Beaches San Clemente said sand is the best solution for creating a long lasting buffer, adding ”the wide sandy beaches protected the tracks for 130 years until they got too narrow.” The beaches along the rail got so narrow that there was no dry beach left, but sand replenishment efforts by the San Clemente City Council, she said, has now resulted in some dry sand in North Beach. Researchers at UC Irvine have previously told LAist that sand is the natural defense against strong waves. The stabilization measures include sand, but it’s not coming soon. Read More
Can You Outsource Motivation?
Psychology Today -
“As physicians, we know that many of the most common diseases could be prevented—or even reversed—through sustained behavior change. Behavior change is far more complex than medical adherence—it requires motivation, consistency, and long-term effort”, writes Hamid Djalilian M.D., professor of otolaryngology, neurosurgery, and biomedical engineering and Director of Otology and Neurotology at the University of California, Irvine. Read More
School Ties
Orange County Business Journal -
On March 10, aerospace manufacturing firm Pratt & Whitney announced it would help establish a center of excellence for solidification science and materials science at UCI, to be housed in the Henry Samueli School of Engineering. … The center will focus on the metal and material processing challenges in the manufacturing of critical jet engine components, such as single-crystal turbine blades …. Diran Apelian, UCI Distinguished Professor of materials science and engineering, will be the center’s inaugural director. Read More