🌊 Flow Imaging Lab at Mudd [Mendelson] 🐟📷
Prof. Mendelson's Flow Imaging Lab at Mudd is recruiting for the following projects in Spring 2026:
1. Fish-Inspired Propulsion at the Water-Air Interface
The accurate jumping behavior of archer fish offers a bioinspired strategy for water-exit propulsion in underwater vehicles, especially in sensitive environments where traditional thrusters are too disruptive. This project aims to simplify, replicate, and optimize this behavior using mechanical systems, specifically flapping flexible plates. Example questions we aim to answer include:
- How does changing the amplitude and timing of each "tailbeat" affect cumulative propulsion during water-exit?
- Is it better to use faster, smaller motions or larger, sweeping ones?
- How can we time motions for beneficial wake interaction?
- At what point during water-exit does force production reach diminishing returns?
We will answer these questions by designing and prototyping mechanisms to replicate the fish's kinematics and analyzing the resulting forces and flow patterns using high-speed imaging, six-axis force sensing, particle image velocimetry (PIV), and dye visualization.
In Spring 2026, the focus will be on collecting and analyzing force sensor and high-speed imaging data to understand the role of the water's surface on propulsive performance.
2. Event-Based Imaging of Ice Fracture Events
This research project aims to develop a novel imaging system using advanced event (neuromorphic) cameras to investigate the mechanics of ice fracture and the associated fluid dynamics at the laboratory scale.
Student researchers will contribute to developing and validating this low-cost, high-speed imaging system to measure both the initiation and propagation of ice fractures and the subsequent flow of meltwater and particulates (such as microbes and microplastics) released by these events.
Specific goals for the spring semester include prototyping and validating the event camera-based measurement system for capturing fracture events, particle release, and dye release, including comparisons to traditional high-speed imaging. The role involves hands-on experimental work and heavy use of both event and traditional high-speed cameras.
3. Suction Optimization for Community Dental Clinics
Free community dental clinics provide accessible and comprehensive dental care to underserved populations. These events often operate in pop-up locations, such as school gymnasiums or convention centers, utilizing portable equipment with limited time for setup. A significant challenge in these temporary arrangements is ensuring sufficient suction at all workstations to guarantee safe and effective patient care.
In this project, we will collaborate with a community partner to develop a fluid mechanics model and a design tool for pop-up dental clinic layouts. This tool will be used to ensure optimal suction performance for a high capacity of providers and procedures. The results of this work will directly contribute to improving access to critical dental care.
To apply include the following information in your URO application:
- Essay Prompt: Why are you interested in working on this research project? What will you bring to the project and what do you hope to learn? Please answer authentically. Your response should be professional, but doesn't need to be your most polished formal essay ever. AI slop describing the lab's past work in performative detail will not receive an interview.
- Project Interests: Which project(s) are you applying to work on?
- References: Submit the names of two HMC professors as references who can comment on your work habits.
Registration for at least one unit of research credit in Spring 2026 is required. Summer offers are made from within the group in early Spring 2026.
Students will join a collaborative team working at the interface of fluid mechanics, mechanical design, and computer vision.
The Flow Imaging Lab at (Harvey) Mudd (FILM), directed by Prof. Leah Mendelson, experimentally studies biological and bioinspired fluid mechanics and flows at the water-air interface. The group also works on low-cost tools for flow field measurements. Research projects in FILM frequently involve mechanical design and mechatronics, high-speed imaging, and particle image velocimetry, an experimental technique for measuring fluid velocities by filming the motion of tracer particles suspended in the flow. We frequently use image processing, computer vision, and computational photography to understand the behavior of a fluid flow.