Development of a Mechatronics System Design Course

Abstract

Mechatronics Engineering is a multidisciplinary field that draws from computer, electrical, and mechanical engineering and applies these topics to a variety of applications of electromechanical systems including robotics, control, and automation. Engineers in this field are vitally important in continued development of autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics, and space exploration vehicles. Anderson University has recently been awarded ABET accreditation in Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and Mechanical Engineering. Based on the disciplines represented at Anderson University, mechatronics is a logical choice for further development of upper-level elective courses. Students with experience in mechatronics are increasingly valuable in the automation and manufacturing workforce. Many students who attend Anderson University in STEM related fields had their interest in STEM developed by robotics programs in their youth. Furthermore, recent participation in the Autonomous Division of the evGrandPrix competition has developed a deep interest in Mechatronics System Design by existing students. This paper details the development of a Mechatronics System Design course, intended to enhance the existing curricular offerings in each of the accredited engineering disciplines. Literature on other mechatronics courses describes wide variations in course design and most lack enough information to fully implement. This work will present, in brief, the details of each project, and the projects created as a result of this work will be made publicly available for use by other institutions. The assessment strategy is presented, as are results from the pilot offering of the course. These results are affected by the change in instruction mode required due to the COVID-19 pandemic.