Farhan Gandhi, associate professor of aerospace engineering, is a recipient of the Popular Mechanics 2007 Breakthrough Award.
Gandhi is one of only eight inventors to receive the award this year from the magazine. He received the honor at a gala in New York City last week.
Gandhi was honored for designing a morphing helicopter rotor blade. The blade can adjust its length to the speed by a finely calibrated spring. When the blade is moving fast, the spring stretches and expands the blade. When it moves slower, the spring contracts and decreases the blade's length. This design allows helicopters to be more versatile and achieve higher performance.
Gandhi's other awards and honors include a U.S. Army Rotorcraft Fellowship and the American Helicopter Society Francios Xavier Bagnoud Award. He also has served as the chairperson of the American Helicopter Society Aircraft Design Technical Committee and is currently serving on the AHS Dynamics Technical Committee.
Gandhi earned his bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering at the Indian Institute of Technology. He received his master's and doctorate degrees in aerospace engineering at the University of Maryland.
The award winners and their work will be featured in the magazine's November issue.