Mechatronics at Colorado State University

Abstract

An innovative four-credit junior-level semester course is described, which combines measurement theory, instrumentation, analog and digital electronics, sensors and actuators, and computer control topics with a laboratory experience. The course, entitled Mechatronics and Measurement Systems, is a core course for mechanical engineering students at Colorado State University which has evolved over the last 12 years. In the future it will be offered as a joint course for mechanical and electrical engineering students. Topics covered by the paper include: • • course objective, description, and current syllabus • • laboratory exercises designed to complement and supplement the lecture material • • term projects used in previous years including a 3-D surface laser digitizer, a cylindrical robot with optical tracking capabilities, and an acoustic mapping system • • textbook and laboratory manuals developed to support the course: “Mechatronics and Measurement Systems”, “Mechatronics and Measurement Systems Laboratory Exersices”, and “Mechatronics and Measurement Systems Examination and Homework Manual”, all by M. Histand and D. Alciatore. This course is an integral part of our recently reorganized curriculum which emphasizes engineering design in each year of study. Mechatronics and Measurement Systems is the focal experience that students have in making the transition from the fundamentals of engineering to the application of those principles in “real world” engineering design problems.