The department of Mechanical Engineering (MECH) consist of three research groups : The Acoustics & Vibration Research Group central goal is to conduct fundamental and applied research in the broad field of Acoustics & Vibration, with special emphasis on Experimental and Operational Modal Analysis, Frequency-Domain Maximum Likelihood Identification of Multivariable Systems, Damage Assessment and Sound Quality. Enjoy the visit, and feel free to contact us if you need further information. The Robotics & MultiBody Mechanics Research Group central goal is to conduct fundamental and applied research in the broad field of robotics and multibody mechanics. The groups' special emphasis is the development of complex mechatronic systems such as lightweight actuation systems with adaptable compliance. These compliant actuators are implemented in different robots like the bipeds Lucy and Veronica to study energy efficient locomotion, in the robotic manipulator Softarm to study safe HRI and in the step rehabilitation robot Altacro and ankle foot orthosis IPPAM and APM foot for compatablity with a human wearer. Coginitive HRI is studied with the intelligent robot Probo. In the field of multibody mechanics the group developed a new algorithm for real time simulation of complex mechanical systems. The research of the research group Fluid dynamics focuses on 1) CFD; 2) Windenergy; 3) Experimental research at the level of turbulence; 4) Wind engineering. Emphasis is on CFD, in which the department has already 30 years of experience and benefits from a worldwide recognition. Throughout the years the department has been involved in various international projects (e.g. EU, ESA, bilateral projects) and national projects (e.g. FWO, IWONL, GBOU). The department disposes of a professional CFD code, which was developed jointly with FOI (Sweden) for ESA/ESTEC (ESA contract 89-95,96-98). ESA/ESTEC uses the code in support of their projects. The expertise and know-how of the team has led to the creation of a spin-off company, NUMECA Int. N.V. (1992). Currently NUMECA employs around 40 engineers and has an office in Phoenix (US). For its experimental research, the department disposes of 2 subsonic windtunnels and, along with the classical measuring equipment, advanced non-intrusive measurement techniques such as LDA and PIV. The department has many international contacts, partly due to its involvement in various networks, such as different EU thematic networks (FLOWnet, MACSInet, QNET-CFD) and as member of the Belgian Pilot Center of the ERCOFTAC (European Research Community on Flow, Turbulence and Combustion) network. The group is also part of a recently submitted Network of Excellence 'e-FLOW'.