Types of Engineering

You might wonder what the scientific principles of an engineer are! What is that s/he actually does! Well, as per definition, ‘Engineering is the discipline, art and profession that applies scientific theory to design and develops and analyses technological solutions.’ As technology and requirements advanced, various new disciplines and inter disciplinary subjects were developed by the combination of a variety of subjects. For a person to become an engineer, s/he has to get through four (five, for some disciplines) years of formal education after 10+2. Actually, engineering is a broad discipline and the engineers apply techniques of mathematics and physics to solve different problems. The term ‘engineer’ can be traced back to 1325 AD when a person (an engineer) was referred to “a constructor of military engines”. To pay respect to the efforts of engineers, the world celebrates engineer’s week every year. Scroll further to gather information on different disciplines of engineering and their major contributions to the society.  

Aerospace engineers deal with design, manufacture and operation of aircrafts, rockets and missiles. This discipline owes a lot to the creations of Leonardo da Vinci, Orville and Wilbur Wright and subsequently, many branches root out from this field. Yes, the recent fighter jets, speedy mail delivery, jumbo transport airline jets, moon travel, space shuttles etc. are all noteworthy examples of the excellence of aerospace engineers.

You would be astonished by the increasing height of the buildings day after day! The skyscrapers look invincible because a lot of work goes into making sure that the buildings are, in fact, sturdy. This is where architectural engineers come in; they make sure that the right safety measures have been taken for the buildings, at the construction level, the design level and even in the later stages. Thus, we can say that architectural engineers ensure fool-proof buildings to avoid major mishaps.

This branch of engineering has proved the close association of biology with engineering. Efforts under biomedical engineering have made the life of patients simpler with the development of medical instruments, prosthetic devices and artificial organs. These engineers study simple bodily mechanics and employ them technically to design comfortable and safe products for those who need them.

It indeed takes a lot of effort and talent to transform simple raw materials into useful products which are crucial for our everyday life. The contributions of these engineers can be seen in products like pharmaceuticals, cosmetics, food and beverages, and many others products.

The civil engineers plan and execute construction of dams, roads, bridges, airports, water treatment centers, sanitation plants, and various other public utility infrastructures. In the years to come, they are all set to be the proud designers of special rail beds for future magnetic levitation trains. They might even walk away with the glory of transforming Mars into a hospitable habitat for humans in the distant future.

This branch of engineering not only involves a detailed study of electrical devices but also of systems involved in their operations and the use of electricity in them. Electrical engineers study power plants, computers, microprocessors and other electric devices. Individuals from this field are also involved in the designing of coming of age dashboard computers which will monitor the functioning of automobile engines in future. Electrical engineers deal with electrical motors, navigation systems and are closely involved in lighting and wiring buildings.

Software engineers deal with the designing, operation and construction of computer systems. The areas in which these engineers specialize include a vast variety of subjects, ranging from operating systems to digital systems, software and computer networks.

As the name suggests, mechanical engineers employ principles of mechanics and energy in the designing and operation of various motors and engines. A robotically controlled brace which helps disabled people walk is a classic example of a mechanical engineer’s work. Apart from robotics, they also work in other regular fields such as air conditioning, automotive operations, welding, refrigeration, etc.

Electronics engineers specialize mainly in communication systems, control systems, embedded systems, technologies related to the Global Positioning Systems (GPS), etc. They deal with active electrical and non-linear components such as transistors, diodes, integrated circuits, electron tubes, semi-conductor devices, etc.

This area of engineering deals with the designing, construction and maintenance of ships, boats and all the marine equipment. They work alongside the naval architects, however, the nitty-gritty of wartime equipment and its functioning isn’t disclosed to all marine engineers.

Environment engineers shoulder the most critical part of making lives better by maintaining the environment pollution free. They assist in the development of sewage treatment plants, pollution control measures, control systems in water, land and air, recycling methods, water distribution systems etc. They are constantly involved in introducing and enforcing new methods or curbing pollution in our day-to-day lives.

 

Now that you are aware of all the major engineering branches, it is easy for you to pick the area which interests you the most!