Nature of Operations	6 Months Ended
Jun. 30, 2015
Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]
Nature of Operations	1. Nature of Operations *Description of Business* Mechanical Technology, Incorporated (MTI or the Company), a New York corporation, was incorporated in 1961. The Company’s core business is conducted through MTI Instruments, Inc. (MTI Instruments), a wholly-owned subsidiary. MTI Instruments was incorporated in New York on March 8, 2000 and is a supplier of precision linear displacement solutions, vibration measurement and system balancing systems, and wafer inspection tools, consisting of electronic gauging instruments for position, displacement and vibration application within the industrial manufacturing/production markets, as well as the research, design and process development market; tensile stage systems for materials testing at academic and industrial research settings; and engine vibration analysis systems for both military and commercial aircraft. These tools, systems and solutions are developed for markets and applications that require the precise measurements and control of products, processes, and the development and implementation of automated manufacturing, assembly, and consistent operation of complex machinery. *Liquidity* The Company has incurred significant losses primarily due to its past efforts to fund direct methanol fuel cell product development and commercialization programs, and has an accumulated deficit of approximately $118.4 million and working capital of approximately $2.2 million at June 30, 2015. Based on the Company’s projected cash requirements for operations and capital expenditures for 2015, its current available cash of approximately $1.5 million, the $2.5 million available from its existing credit facilities, current cash flow requirements and revenue and expense projections, management believes it will have adequate resources to fund operations and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months.

Nature of Operations

6 Months Ended

Jun. 30, 2015

Organization, Consolidation and Presentation of Financial Statements [Abstract]

1. Nature of Operations

Description of Business

Mechanical Technology, Incorporated (MTI or the Company), a New York corporation, was incorporated in 1961. The Company’s core business is conducted through MTI Instruments, Inc. (MTI Instruments), a wholly-owned subsidiary.

MTI Instruments was incorporated in New York on March 8, 2000 and is a supplier of precision linear displacement solutions, vibration measurement and system balancing systems, and wafer inspection tools, consisting of electronic gauging instruments for position, displacement and vibration application within the industrial manufacturing/production markets, as well as the research, design and process development market; tensile stage systems for materials testing at academic and industrial research settings; and engine vibration analysis systems for both military and commercial aircraft. These tools, systems and solutions are developed for markets and applications that require the precise measurements and control of products, processes, and the development and implementation of automated manufacturing, assembly, and consistent operation of complex machinery.

Liquidity

The Company has incurred significant losses primarily due to its past efforts to fund direct methanol fuel cell product development and commercialization programs, and has an accumulated deficit of approximately $118.4 million and working capital of approximately $2.2 million at June 30, 2015.

Based on the Company’s projected cash requirements for operations and capital expenditures for 2015, its current available cash of approximately $1.5 million, the $2.5 million available from its existing credit facilities, current cash flow requirements and revenue and expense projections, management believes it will have adequate resources to fund operations and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months.