Mechanical Engineering Overview

Let’s fix our understanding of machines!

What can mechanical engineers do? The answer is – just about anything! Car racers, astronauts, roboticists, and lots of others rely on mechanical engineers to create safe and innovative products. Mechanical engineers use their knowledge of physics to design systems like the elevators of a building, the next big rocket, and even the phone or computer you’re reading this on!

Prompts to ask students to discuss and introduce the topic:

• What is mechanical engineering in your mind?
• Where do you think mechanical engineers work? What do they do?
• Have you ever sat in a car?
• Do you watch Formula 1?
• Have you ever wondered how gears/stick shift works?
• What components of a car can you name? What interests you the most?
• What about robots? Who makes the mechanics of those?

Videos to introduce Mechanical engineering to students:

• Dr. Ayanna Howard is making huge leaps in the field of robotics. She designs everything from assistive robots in the home to therapy gaming apps to remote robotic exploration of extreme environments (like Mars)! Check out a video interview with Dr. Howard.
  

 

• The stars are the limit with mechanical engineering. Watch NASA engineer Kenneth Harris II tell the story of his hard-earned path to the space center!
  

 

• Mechanical Engineering at UIUC is one of the college’s most popular majors. Find out more about Studying Mechanical Engineering at The Grainger College of Engineering.
  

Return to the STEM Activity Library to access the mechanical science engineering activities and other engineering majors.