News - Ray W. Herrick Laboratories - Purdue University

Roadside mowing is inherently dangerous, time-consuming and costly.

The Indiana Department of Transportation (INDOT) spends approximately $18 million annually maintaining more than 40,000 acres of roadside vegetation. Contractors must often operate just feet from high-speed traffic, sometimes crossing into travel lanes and navigating around obstacles hidden in tall grass.

William E. and Florence E. Perry Head of Mechanical Engineering, and Reilly Distinguished Professor of Mechanical Engineering, Eckhard Groll, received a Focus Award for outstanding contribution to the furthering of Purdue University’s commitment to disability accessibility.

During the recent ASHRAE conference in Las Vegas, Thanos Tzempelikos, Professor of Civil and Construction Engineering and Herrick Labs Faculty, was named ASHRAE Fellow and received the award. Tzempelikos was recognized for his research contributions to daylighting control, integration of thermal and lighting systems operation, and indoor environmental quality and comfort.

Each year, the Institute of Acoustics recognizes exceptional achievement and service to the science and application of acoustics through its Medals and Awards program. Spanning academic excellence, engineering innovation, education and professional leadership, the program celebrates individuals whose work has advanced both the discipline and its real-world impact.

Daylight and window views positively affect health and well-being in many ways. However, children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) are hypersensitive to environmental stimulation, which leads many educational facilities to use windowless spaces or fully block natural light to avoid potential distractions.

October of 2025 was a big month for Purdue Univeristy, with Homecoming and the grand re-opening of the newly renovated Mechanical Engineering building on the 24th and the Industrial Advisory Committee (IAC) Meeting at Ray W. Herrick Labs on the 30th and 31st.

You don't typically think of your home or workplace as a "laboratory" (unless you are a scientist!). But have you ever wondered about the brightness of the lights, or the temperature settings in your workplace, and why they were determined to be ideal (or why it's not operating according to your preferences)? Behind the scenes, researchers are studying what keeps us comfortable and safe while we are indoors – from the heating and air-conditioning systems to lighting, acoustics, and airborne particulates, to the best place to sit in the room. All of these are studied at a one-of-a-kind facility at Purdue University’s Ray W. Herrick Laboratories.

Greg Shaver, professor of mechanical engineering and the director of Herrick Labs, served as the principal investigator at Purdue University. He assembled a team of faculty and students across disciplines: Aerospace Engineering, Agricultural and Biological Engineering (ABE), Agronomy, and Mechanical Engineering.

Shaver has extensive expertise in vehicle automation and was complemented by John Evans, assistant professor of agricultural and biological engineering, who contributed firsthand farming experience as well as a background in agriculture robotics. Mechanical engineering PhD candidates Ziping Liu, Chufan Jiang and Shveta Dhamankar also played a significant role in creating the automation system models and algorithms.

My amazing visit to Argentina as a co-leader of the Purdue Study Abroad Program

The first ever Herrick Homecoming demonstrated the spirit of a Boilermaker. Just as we had hoped, the event brought us together to celebrate the past, the present, and the future of Herrick Laboratories.