Mechanical Engineering in UX Discipline
In the 18th century, science and technology made significant advancements in the fields of physics, chemistry, mathematics, and engineering. However, engineering witnessed the highest number of inventions during this historical era in Europe. The concept of electromagnetism came into being, and many new fields of engineering, including mechanical engineering, emerged as a whole new field.
Mechanical engineering, since its birth, is the most diversified field of engineering. Mechanical engineers utilize its principle in nearly every walk of life, from health care to vehicles and much more.
In this article, we'll talk about everything related to mechanical engineering. We'll discuss its uses in everyday situations, and most importantly, we'll study the relationship between mechanical engineering and UX (user experience).
What is Mechanical Engineering? – A Brief Introduction
The term 'mechanical' refers to the completion of a work/task using machinery and force. On the other hand, engineering can be defined as the application of the given technology to design various machines and components. Both of these terms, when combined, give rise to Mechanical Engineering.
Mechanical engineering, in simpler words, is defined as the branch of engineering that deals with the application of its principles on various aspects of the engineering system. From testing to mechanical designs and manufacturing, mechanical engineering can be employed everywhere.
The mechanical field is filled with complex designs and structures that make it one of the toughest engineering fields. As the course is packed with technology, acquiring a mechanical engineering degree is quite challenging. The degree demands the person to manufacture things ranging from a small chip to big vehicles and systems. Therefore, the education needed to become a mechanical engineer is highly versatile.
To design any structure, mechanical engineers put extra effort and work with the principles of force and motion and finally accomplish a system that works efficiently without the need for much physical effort.
Till now, you might have completely understood the concept of mechanical engineering. In the next heading, we will demonstrate an example that will help you understand the role of mechanical engineering more deeply.
An Example of Everyday Mechanical Engineering
It would be unfair to say that mechanical engineering doesn't have many applications in everyday life. In fact, it is one of the broadest branches of engineering. We are surrounded by numerous examples indicating the role of mechanical engineering designs in our daily lives. One such example illustrating the use of mechanical engineering is as follows:
Have you ever thought about the science revolving around different colors? Well, talking about a common example, you must have observed that wearing black in summer causes your body to warm up quickly than wearing any other color. In comparison, the color white cools down your body and gives a relaxing feel in summers. You might be surprised to know that there is a lot of mechanical science involved in this scenario.
Heat transfer is a well-known principle of mechanical engineering that involves three basic flows of heat. You might have heard of Conduction, Convection, and Radiation. Radiation is among one such heat flows and works on the principle of Stefan-Boltzmann law. According to this law, the radiation emitted by anybody can be calculated by using the following expression.
P = AeÓT4
Where 'p' is the absorptive power and 'e' denotes the emissivity factor, which is 0 for the white body (shows reflection) and 1 for the black body (shows absorption). Therefore, whenever you wear white, your body's heat is reflected, and you experience a cooling effect on your body. In contrast, if you wear black clothes, your body's heat is absorbed, and hence you feel a warming sensation. In short, white color displays 100% reflective capabilities while black color exhibits absorptive properties.
Well, this was a general example of mechanical engineering in our everyday life. Moving further from here, we'll discuss common uses of this engineering field concerning other subjects.
Common Uses of Mechanical Engineering
Mechanical designs are useful for creating new instruments and machines. These designs play a significant role in conducting research.
Below, we have listed some common branches of science that make use of mechanical engineering principles:
- Automotive Research Technology
Automotive research employs the principles of mechanical engineering to enhance certain functions of the car, including suspension. The technology is usually employed for developing vehicles like cars, buses, etc.
- Designing
A vast number of technical designs are developed by mechanical designers using CAM, CAD, and other similar software. These designs aid mechanical engineers in the development of efficient mechanical systems for various processes such as refrigeration.
- Prosthetics Technology
Another area where the principles of mechanical engineering come into action is prosthetics. While studying its uses, keep in mind that mechanical engineering in combination with biomedical engineering can be used to develop prosthetics and other mobility devices for paralyzed patients.
- Composite Material Research
From the past few decades, composite material research is gaining significant importance concerning mechanical engineering. The technique works on creating a composite material showing high tolerance to corrosion and low weight.
- Nanotechnology
When applied to very minute particles, mechanical engineering is converted to nanotechnology. The creation of the smallest molecules requires special assemblers that help to carry out exploratory activities on them. Today, nanofilms are being successfully developed.
- Element Analysis
Mechanical engineering provides many handy tools to analyze finite elements and measure their specific properties like stress, distortion, etc. The FEM is an essential tool in understanding the physical parameters of numerous particles. The method is also useful for solving problems concerning fluid flow.
Other fields which work in combination with mechanical engineering for product development include thermodynamics, aerospace technology, industrial engineering, robotics, and many more.
The next section will help you comprehend the relationship between mechanical engineering and UX (user experience).
The relationship between Mechanical Engineering and UX
No matter which field you are working in, user experience should be your primary priority. The relationship between mechanical engineering and UX is not a straightforward one. Therefore, you must be pondering over the fact that how these two things connect. To simplify this myth, we have taken the example of prototyping below.
Prototyping has always been a trouble for many people as it takes a lot of time. But mechanical designs have made the prototyping modification easier than before and therefore have enhanced the user experience up to a great extent. Mechanical engineering has significantly affected the UX as it has made outstanding improvements in various processes. It has also reduced the cost of certain products making them more available for human use.
Another crucial advantage of mechanical designs is that it minimizes human efforts and provides rapid results.
To quickly summarize the topic, in this article we have discussed mechanical engineering in detail. We have understood the concept and principles of mechanical engineering in great dept. Furthermore, to completely comprehend its applications, we have studied certain mechanical designs as examples too.
In the end, the relationship between User experience and mechanical engineering is also analyzed. Understanding the link between the two is not simple. Therefore, we observed different examples to fully cover the basics of mechanical engineering.
