Electro-Mechanical Design Engineering: A Progress Report and Future Directions for Mechatronics Education

Abstract

The Electro-Mechanical Design Engineering programme has been in place as a five-year combined interdisciplinary programme in mechanical and electronics engineering at the University of British Columbia since 1994. The students take almost all mechanical and most of the core electronics engineering courses during the first four years. They spend at least two four-month-long summer terms in industry as cooperative education students, where they receive training in practical design, drafting, manufacturing and instrumentation. The fifth year is dedicated to the complete design and manufacturing of a computer controlled machine in industry. Teams of students design the complete mechanical system with actuators, sensors and computer control units under the joint supervision of a faculty member and a qualified engineer designated by the sponsoring company. Upon the completion and testing of the full electro-mechanical machine and four graduate courses, the students receive a Bachelor and Master of Engineering in Electro-Mechanical Engineering. The Electro-Mechanical students receive academic and industrial training in mechanical, electronics and software engineering, and are in high demand in industry and academia upon graduation. The present status and future of this programme, including the proposed expansion of the programme to the M.A.Sc. Degree (currently under faculty review), is discussed.