MAE 3780

Mechatronics

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2016-2017.

At the intersection of mechanical and electrical engineering, Mechatronics involves technologies necessary to create automated systems. This course introduces students to the functional elements of modern controlled dynamic systems. Topics include analog circuits - both passive and active elements, filter design, diodes, transistors, MOSFETs and power amplification, pulse width modulation, transduction - electro-mechanical devices such as electromagnetic systems, gear trains and mechanisms, optical encoders, discretization, digital logic devices, microprocessors and programming. Lab experiments culminate in the design, fabrication, and programming of a microprocessor-controlled robotic vehicle, which laboratory groups enter into a class-wide competition.

When Offered Fall.

Permission Note For Mechanical Engineering Majors. Other Majors enroll in MAE 3783.
Prerequisites/Corequisites Prerequisite: MATH 2930, PHYS 2213, or permission of instructor.

• Students are able to apply Kirchoff's laws to modern circuits and electro-mechanical devices. Students solve for the dynamic response of first order systems.
• Students perform experiments with electrical circuits containing modern components and electro-mechanical systems; laboratory reports are delivered for each formal experiment and the final project.
• Students design and construct a robotic vehicle that uses sensors to determine where it is with respect to its environment. Each robotic vehicle system utilizes unique sensor configurations and software. The software controls a microprocessor that the vehicle carries, in addition to a sensor suite, motor drivers, actuators, and battery pack.

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