Nature of Operations	9 Months Ended
Sep. 30, 2013
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. MTI operates in two segments, the Test and Measurement Instrumentation segment, which is conducted through MTI Instruments, Incorporated (MTI Instruments), a wholly-owned subsidiary, and the New Energy segment, which is conducted through MTI MicroFuel Cells Incorporated (MTI Micro), a variable interest entity (VIE) that is included in these condensed consolidated financial statements and described further below in Note 2. MTI Instruments was incorporated in New York on March 8, 2000 and is a worldwide supplier of precision non-contact physical measurement solutions, portable vibration measurement and balancing systems, wafer inspection tools and precision contact measurement of material tensile strength. MTI Instruments uses a comprehensive array of technologies to solve complex, real world applications in numerous industries including industrial manufacturing, semiconductor, solar, commercial and military aviation, automotive and research and development centers. MTI Instruments’ products consist of: electronic gauging instruments for position, displacement, vibration applications within the research, design, test, manufacturing/production processes; wafer characterization of semi-insulating and semi-conducting wafers, both in the semiconductor and solar industries; tensile stage systems for materials testing at academic and industrial settings; and engine vibration analysis systems for both military and commercial aircraft as well as industrial power engines. MTI Micro was incorporated in Delaware on March 26, 2001, and, until its operations were suspended in late 2011, had been developing Mobion^®, a handheld energy-generating device to replace current lithium-ion and similar rechargeable battery systems in many handheld electronic devices for the military and consumer markets.Although MTI Micro continues to believe in the potential of its Mobion^® based power solutions, operations continue to remain suspended at MTI Micro until such time as market demand and other deciding factors, including obtaining additional external financing, the successful completion of customer trials, a new development program with a government agency, and/or a customer order, come to fruition. MTI Micro will continue to seek additional capital from external sources to resume operations and fund future development, as warranted. If MTI Micro is unable to secure additional financing, a new development program or customer order, the MTI Micro Board of Directors will assess other options for MTI Micro, including the sale of its intellectual property portfolio and/or remaining assets. As of September 30, 2013, the Company owned approximately 47.6% of MTI Micro’s outstanding common stock. *Liquidity* The Company has incurred significant losses primarily due to its past efforts to fund MTI Micro’s direct methanol fuel cell product development and commercialization programs, and has an accumulated deficit of approximately $121.8 million and working capital of approximately $2.0 million at September 30, 2013. The Company restructured its operations during the second half of 2012, which included the departure of its then CEO, staffing adjustments to its MTI Instrument’s sales force and reduction in MTI Instrument’s production and development personnel. Based on the Company’s projected cash requirements for operations and capital expenditures for 2013, its current available cash of $970 thousand (excluding MTI Micro available cash), the $400 thousand available from its existing line of credit at MTI Instruments, current cash flow requirements and revenue and expense projections, management believes it will have adequate resources to fund its active operations and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months. However, the Company may need to do one or more of the following to raise additional resources or reduce its cash requirements: 1) Reduce its current expenditure run rate; 2) Defer its capital expenditures; 3) Defer its hiring plans; and 4) Secure additional debt or equity financing. There is no guarantee that, if needed, such resources will be available to the Company on terms acceptable to it, or at all, or that such resources will be received in a timely manner, if at all, or that the Company will be able to reduce its expenditure run-rate, defer its capital expenditures or hiring plans without materially and adversely effecting its business. The Company suspended operations at MTI Micro in late 2011 and, as of September 30, 2013, MTI Micro’s available cash is approximately $37 thousand.

Nature of Operations

9 Months Ended

Sep. 30, 2013

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. MTI operates in two segments, the Test and Measurement Instrumentation segment, which is conducted through MTI Instruments, Incorporated (MTI Instruments), a wholly-owned subsidiary, and the New Energy segment, which is conducted through MTI MicroFuel Cells Incorporated (MTI Micro), a variable interest entity (VIE) that is included in these condensed consolidated financial statements and described further below in Note 2.

MTI Instruments was incorporated in New York on March 8, 2000 and is a worldwide supplier of precision non-contact physical measurement solutions, portable vibration measurement and balancing systems, wafer inspection tools and precision contact measurement of material tensile strength. MTI Instruments uses a comprehensive array of technologies to solve complex, real world applications in numerous industries including industrial manufacturing, semiconductor, solar, commercial and military aviation, automotive and research and development centers. MTI Instruments’ products consist of: electronic gauging instruments for position, displacement, vibration applications within the research, design, test, manufacturing/production processes; wafer characterization of semi-insulating and semi-conducting wafers, both in the semiconductor and solar industries; tensile stage systems for materials testing at academic and industrial settings; and engine vibration analysis systems for both military and commercial aircraft as well as industrial power engines.

MTI Micro was incorporated in Delaware on March 26, 2001, and, until its operations were suspended in late 2011, had been developing Mobion^®, a handheld energy-generating device to replace current lithium-ion and similar rechargeable battery systems in many handheld electronic devices for the military and consumer markets.Although MTI Micro continues to believe in the potential of its Mobion^® based power solutions, operations continue to remain suspended at MTI Micro until such time as market demand and other deciding factors, including obtaining additional external financing, the successful completion of customer trials, a new development program with a government agency, and/or a customer order, come to fruition. MTI Micro will continue to seek additional capital from external sources to resume operations and fund future development, as warranted. If MTI Micro is unable to secure additional financing, a new development program or customer order, the MTI Micro Board of Directors will assess other options for MTI Micro, including the sale of its intellectual property portfolio and/or remaining assets. As of September 30, 2013, the Company owned approximately 47.6% of MTI Micro’s outstanding common stock.

Liquidity

The Company has incurred significant losses primarily due to its past efforts to fund MTI Micro’s direct methanol fuel cell product development and commercialization programs, and has an accumulated deficit of approximately $121.8 million and working capital of approximately $2.0 million at September 30, 2013. The Company restructured its operations during the second half of 2012, which included the departure of its then CEO, staffing adjustments to its MTI Instrument’s sales force and reduction in MTI Instrument’s production and development personnel.

Based on the Company’s projected cash requirements for operations and capital expenditures for 2013, its current available cash of $970 thousand (excluding MTI Micro available cash), the $400 thousand available from its existing line of credit at MTI Instruments, current cash flow requirements and revenue and expense projections, management believes it will have adequate resources to fund its active operations and capital expenditures for at least the next twelve months.

However, the Company may need to do one or more of the following to raise additional resources or reduce its cash requirements:

1) Reduce its current expenditure run rate;

2) Defer its capital expenditures;

3) Defer its hiring plans; and

4) Secure additional debt or equity financing.

There is no guarantee that, if needed, such resources will be available to the Company on terms acceptable to it, or at all, or that such resources will be received in a timely manner, if at all, or that the Company will be able to reduce its expenditure run-rate, defer its capital expenditures or hiring plans without materially and adversely effecting its business.

The Company suspended operations at MTI Micro in late 2011 and, as of September 30, 2013, MTI Micro’s available cash is approximately $37 thousand.