The Future of Mechanical Engineering: Trends to Watch in 2024

From the Industrial Revolution to the digital age, mechanical engineering has consistently led the way in innovation, driving progress across manufacturing, transportation, and various other sectors. Today, as India endeavours to strengthen its manufacturing sector, aiming to substantially elevate its GDP and realize the ambitious vision of becoming a 30-trillion-dollar economy by 2047, the demand for young mechanical talent at Viksit Bharat has never been more pressing. Here, we explore several promising advancements that are reshaping the field, presenting mechanical engineers with new tools and avenues to shape a brighter future.

Rise of AI and Robotics

Traditional mechanical engineering is undergoing a significant transformation fuelled by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and robotics. This powerful combination gives rise to autonomous systems – machines empowered by AI algorithms that can perform complex tasks with unmatched precision and efficiency.

The applications of AI in mechanical engineering are vast, encompassing industrial automation, self-driving cars, and smart manufacturing facilities (Industry 4.0). But the potential goes beyond factories. Imagine AI-powered drones assisting small farms, conducting daring rescue missions, or even serving as intelligent health companions. The future holds promise for AI-managed entities in public services and social sectors, alongside the development of collaborative robots, medical robots, and even swarms of intelligent machines working together.


Electric Vehicles (EVs) Becoming Mainstream

Fuelled by stricter environmental regulations, consumer demand for cleaner transportation, and rapid technological advancements, electric vehicles (EVs) are poised to dominate the future. Mechanical engineers are at the forefront of this shift, designing innovative powertrains with longer-lasting batteries, efficient motors, and robust charging infrastructure.

But the future of transportation is not just electric, it's autonomous. Engineers are collaborating on self-driving algorithms seamlessly integrated with EVs, promising a safer and more convenient tomorrow. Affordability is key – as engineers continuously improve EV performance and efficiency, these vehicles will become accessible to a wider audience, driving the sustainable transportation revolution forward.

Global Buzz for Sustainability

Sustainability has become more than just a buzzword; it's an urgent necessity. Technological advancements have come at a cost to the environment, leading to climate change and other challenges. Mechanical engineers are uniquely positioned to develop solutions through innovations in renewable energy transition, energy storage, and grid integration. Advancements like lightweight solid-state batteries, bladeless wind turbines, and AI-powered grid management are making a significant difference. Additionally, initiatives like zero waste, biodegradable materials, sustainable packaging & circular economy practices are gaining traction, all areas where mechanical engineers can play a crucial role.

The versatility of mechanical engineering empowers professionals to navigate diverse industries and challenges. With expertise in design, analysis, and optimization, mechanical engineers make significant contributions across emerging domains such as smart manufacturing, advanced materials science, and green technology.

By embracing stability, simplicity, and versatility, they will continue to drive future advancements and pioneer new technological improvements, shaping a brighter tomorrow.


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The Next Frontier in Mechanical Engineering

Drones are being designed, built and programmed to link up and carry larger, heavier objects as a unit.

Drone technology is quickly evolving –no longer just for military use, these flying robots now have a place within commercial enterprise. Also known as unmanned aerial vehicles, drones today have practical applications, like delivering packages for Amazon or allowing realtors to take aerial video to show off a sale property.

To date, there is usually a weight limit on how much a drone can carry, restricting its usefulness. But Jonathan Rogers, assistant professor at the George W. Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering, is trying to change that. He is designing, building and programming robotic drones that can link up and carry larger, heavier objects as a unit

“In my lab, we are working with multiple drones that lift and fly packages together,” said Rogers. “This involves distributing heavy lift capabilities into a number of small drone units that can then organize themselves to pick the object up.”

With exceptional portability, unobtrusive size and remote control, drones are ideal for situations that are dangerous for humans. Rogers has designed the world’s first heavy lift small drones – robots that can work together to lift and evacuate wounded soldiers from the battlefield or civilians from a disaster area. Theoretically, three to four man-portable robots fly out together, connect to the person, and lift them 500 yards out of harm’s way.

Each drone has eight large propellers and can fold up into a backpack for portability. The drone can lift a 65 pound object, and with three or four drones working together, a human can be lifted. Rogers explains that it’s all about thrust density, a term he invented.

“Determining how much thrust you can pack into a small area is important when you are using multiple vehicles to lift a specific object,” said Rogers. “When you pack a large amount of thrust into a small object, the laws of physics work against you, so you need more power. That’s why we only fly the soldiers about 500 yards away after they are lifted from the battlefield.”

The drones Rogers works on are part of a new field called cooperative flight control, where multiple drones connect to an object that they know very little about and move it in a stable way. Rogers has named these drones “modular vertical lift robots,” and they also have useful implications for package delivery.

Currently, Rogers and his team are working on a funded project with the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) to test multiple vertical lift robots that connect up to deliver supplies. The robots are programed to take into account flexible logistics by connecting to the object (payload) and determining its weight and size and how to move it in a stable way. The small robots work together as a team, known as multi agent control.

“Right now we are most concerned with ensuring the robots fly in a stable way once they analyze the payload and mass center,” said Rogers. “We are calling this autonomous flightworthiness determination (AFWD), and it’s a topic in the field that no one else has explored.”

A major challenge for AFWD and cooperative flight control is determining how the drones are going to attach to the payload. Rogers has developed a docking apparatus, so the robot vehicles can attach to the object. When a flexible payload, like a human, doesn’t have docks, Rogers is looking into using manipulators with soft gripper technology on the robots. Then the robots will have a flexible way of grasping the human.

In the next 20 to 30 years, Rogers predicts that mobile robots moving together will be employed in everyday situations. But a key hurdle remains – normalizing the technology to ensure it is compatible with and trusted by humans.

“I am really invested in creating new mechanisms and autonomy algorithms that allow robots to serve a beneficial purpose in society,” said Rogers. “The modular vehicle lift robot that can operate during disaster situations is a great example of the type of technology that can benefit people. Also, the drone docks we are designing will be a key piece of equipment that hundreds of companies can use to do their jobs better. Making an impact on society is really our goal.”

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What Are Different Types of Engineering

Engineering continues to be a thriving college major, as the number of engineering graduates has increased. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, nearly 140,000 new engineering jobs are expected to be created between 2016 and 2026.

With so many different types of engineering jobs, it can be challenging for prospective and early-career undergraduate students to decide which track to pursue.


Engineers serve in various roles, from creating, improving and maintaining massive structures like highways and bridges to designing smaller items like laptops, smartphones and athletic sneakers. Aerospace engineers design and test technology used in spacecraft, aircraft and satellites while biomedical engineers help create medicine and technology to advance human health.


While faculty members at engineering programs say that both aerospace and biomedical engineering majors are increasing in popularity, these disciplines are not as common across the U.S. as some other fields.

Four of the most common engineering majors offered at most U.S. engineering schools are:
Civil engineering
Electrical engineering
Mechanical engineering
Chemical engineering

Civil Engineering

Civil engineers work on civil infrastructure projects that affect the quality of life in various communities in major ways. These projects include highways, bridges, skyscrapers and wastewater treatment plants.

Civil engineers often communicate with architects, contractors and government officials to complete projects. People attracted to civil engineering typically want to make a huge impact on society, says Zachary Grasley, head of the civil and environmental engineering department at Texas A&M University.


“We build things that put the public at potential risk,” Grasley says. “If a bridge collapses, people die. If a building collapses, people die.”


Unlike some other engineering fields, most civil engineers are expected to have professional licenses and receive continuing education. Having good character and not cutting corners are important qualities for civil engineers.


In addition, civil engineering is a great option for those interested in becoming entrepreneurs, experts say. Several Texas A&M graduates have started consulting or construction firms, Grasley says.


“It's hard to develop a mom-and-pop automobile company, whereas there are thousands of engineering firms across the country,” he says.


The median annual earnings for civil engineers in the U.S. was $95,890 in 2023, according to the BLS.


Grasley said that while starting salaries for civil engineering positions aren’t as high as those for computer science majors, civil engineering offers plenty of opportunities for growth and increased compensation starting at the mid-career level.

Electrical Engineering


Electrical engineers design and test electrical equipment and systems used in machines, boats, auto motors, cellphones and cameras.


Students interested in electrical engineering should consider the type of problems they are interested in solving, says Maria Yang, deputy dean of engineering at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology's School of Engineering.


“Would you be drawn to developing control strategies for making sure the electrical grid runs safely, to the signal processing algorithms that process audio, to the coding strategies for sending data wirelessly faster and more reliably?” Yang wrote in a text message.

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