Micro-electro mechanical systems, robotics, nanotechnology, bioengineering and energy are multidisciplinary fields that hold enormous opportunities for mechanical engineers.

Micro-Electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) is the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate. MEMS allows the development of "smart" products by augmenting the computational ability of microelectronics with the perception and control capabilities of microsensors and microactuators. It is an extremely diverse field, and one poised for high growth. The expected growth of MEMS offers a dynamic opportunity for both entry level and established mechanical engineers. Current and potential areas of application include: transportation; the military; health care; telecommunications; and consumer products.

Robotics is a truly multidisciplinary field in which advances and innovations rely on the combined efforts of several engineering and scientific disciplines, including mechanical engineering, electrical engineering and computer science. Tomorrow's robots will be networked, wireless, miniaturized, and will have machine vision systems for guidance, as well as rudimentary artificial intelligence to allow them to adjust their work according to novel inputs from the environment. Robots stand today where computers did in the 1980s - on the verge of becoming ubiquitous tools that enhance productivity in every field and industry.

Haptics is a field that also promises significant opportunities for mechanical engineers. Haptics displays - also called force displays, master manipulators or hand controllers - are manipulators used to provide force or tactile feedback to people interacting in virtual or remote environments. Haptic interfaces display complex environments and relay immediate feedback to a user. The user can "reach in" and physically interact with simulated computer content. One example of a haptics-based product is the CyberGlove, which allows users to actually touch computer-generated objects and experience realistic force feedback via their own hands. The advancement of tomorrow's haptics systems will depend on the accurate identification and transfer of mechanical properties such as friction, heat, and impact. Mechanical engineers are needed to construct the values upon which these displays and feedback sensations are built, as well as the devices that transfer that virtual reality to the user.

Nanotechnology is a multidisciplinary field that could revolutionize the work of mechanical engineers in many areas, including manufacturing, materials, bioengineering, aerospace, energy, and the environment. The nanoscale is not just another step toward miniaturization, but a qualitatively new scale, where behavior is dominated by quantum mechanics, material confinement in small structures, large interfacial volume fraction and other unique properties, phenomenon and processes. The emerging fields of nanoscience and nanoengineering are leading to unprecedented understanding and control over molecules and atoms - the fundamental building blocks of all physical things - to work at the molecular level, atom by atom, to create large structures with fundamentally new molecular organizations. Click here for a list of potential nanotechnology applications.

Bioengineering has made enormous contributions to the advancement of health care. The field has produced such innovations as the pacemaker, orthopedic implants, and non-invasive diagnostic imaging. Basic and applied bioengineering research includes such areas of activity as artificial organs, bioinstrumentation, biomaterials, bioprocess engineering, clinical engineering and medical informatics, as well as rehabilitation and tissue engineering. Continued advances in nanotechnology and MEMS - both large markets for mechanical engineers - will translate into complementary advances in bioengineering, and will provide opportunities for mechanical engineers in both the public and private sectors.

The energy industries have long been a strong sector for mechanical engineers, and that presence will likely grow rapidly. As more and more countries develop their economies, global demand for energy is rapidly rising. This energy demand acceleration and the inherent ecological and political problems associated with limited quantities of traditional fuel sources is forcing the industry to develop methods and tools to produce more efficient extraction, and to tap less easily recoverable sources.

Engineering opportunities will emerge from the search for greater energy efficiency in existing products, for example car designs employing advanced drag reduction, variable valve timing and advanced composite materials in the body in combination with the development of gasoline-electric hybrid vehicles. In addition, energy efficient design will become even more important as efforts to reduce carbon dioxide and other emissions intensify. Opportunities will also arise in the fields of alternative energy sources. Most of the projected growth in renewable electricity generation is expected from biomass, landfill gas, geothermal energy and wind power.

All forms of energy production will require engineers well versed in multidisciplinary thinking. Collaborative research and the development of enhanced computer-assisted design of machines that use less energy and produce fewer emissions will be an integral part of every engineering process. Energy production and distribution will become more complex and will require a more comprehensive scope of knowledge and skills from engineers than may perhaps have been necessary in the past. Energy and energy-related disciplines will have an increasing need for engineers with a multidisciplinary capability.