Aerospace research ranges from efforts to design quieter and more fuel-efficient commercial aircraft to the search for new materials that can withstand the high radiation levels and extreme temperatures of space flight. In order to design strong, safe vehicles, aerospace engineers must know and put into practical use the principles of aerodynamics, the study of the forces acting on an object due to air moving past it. They must also have a thorough understanding of the strength, elasticity, and other properties of the materials they use and be able to predict how they will behave during flight. Aerospace engineers work closely with electrical engineers in developing guidance, navigation, and control instruments and with mechanical engineers in designing suitable engines. They also assist civil engineers in planning airport facilities.
Biomedical engineering applies engineering techniques to health-related problems.
Biomedical engineers develop aids for the deaf and blind. They cooperate with physicians and surgeons to design artificial limbs and organs and other devices and machines that assist or replace diseased or damaged parts of the body. Biomedical engineers help provide a wide variety of medical tools, from instruments that measure blood pressure and pulse rate to surgical lasers, concentrated beams of light that can be used to perform delicate operations. Some biomedical engineers specialize in programming computer systems to monitor a patient's health or to process complex medical data. Others cooperate with architects, doctors, nurses, and other specialists to plan hospitals and community health centers.