Use of design competitions in mechatronics education

Design competitions are commonplace in courses that teach mechanical design. The competitions provide not only a structured design challenge, but also great motivation for the students to design and build a well-functioning device. This paper describes how design competitions have been integrated into mechatronics education at Georgia Tech. Three types of competitions are described. The first contests are used in the introductory mechanical design course. The course requires the students to work in teams to create a mechatronics device, so the course can also be considered an introductory mechatronics course. The second type of competitions are used in a graduate-level controls implementation course. Finally, an extracurricular contest that requires the students to build an autonomous “satellite” is described.

[1]  Lawrence R. Wheeless.  Effects of explicit credibility statements by more credible and less credible sources , 1973 .

[2]  Annemarie S. Palincsar,et al.  Motivating Project-Based Learning: Sustaining the Doing, Supporting the Learning , 1991 .

[3]  Charles Ume,et al.  Mechatronics instruction in the Mechanical Engineering curriculum at Georgia Tech , 1995 .

[4]  Daniel L. Schwartz,et al.  Doing with Understanding: Lessons from Research on Problem- and Project-Based Learning , 1998 .

[5]  Andrew Wright.  Planting the seeds for a Mechatronic curriculum at UALR , 2002 .

[6]  Jeffrey B. Hargrove.  Curriculum, equipment and student project outcomes for mechatronics education in the core mechanical engineering program at Kettering University , 2002 .

[7]  Goran D. Putnik,et al.  Mechatronics education at the University of Minho: a summary of the present; perspectives for the future , 2002 .

[8]  Thomas R. Kurfess,et al.  Using mechatronics in early design , 2002 .

[9]  Thomas R. Kurfess,et al.  Genesis and Evolution of an Undergraduate Mechatronics Course , 2002 .

[10]  N. J Brown,et al.  Mechatronics “a graduate perspective” , 2002 .

[11]  Santosh Devasia,et al.  Mechatronics education in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Utah , 2003 .

[12]  A. Geddam.  Mechatronics for Engineering Education: Undergraduate Curriculum* , 2003 .

[13]  Shailendra Kumar,et al.  A Design-Oriented Undergraduate Curriculum in Mechatronics Education* , 2003 .

[14]  M. K. Ramasubramanian,et al.  Evolution of Mechatronics into a Graduate Degree Program in the United States: The NC State University Master of Science Program with Mechatronics Concentration* , 2003 .

[15]  Yoram Reich,et al.  Project-based High School Mechatronics Course* , 2003 .

[16]  Md. Raisuddin Khan,et al.  Development of Mechatronics Engineering Degree Program: Challenges and Prospects , 2003 .

[17]  William K. Durfee.  Mechatronics for the Masses: A Hands-on Project for a Large, Introductory Design Class , 2003 .

[18]  David N. Rocheleau,et al.  Microcontroller Education For Mechanical Engineering Students At The University Of South Carolina , 2004 .

[19]  David N. Rocheleau,et al.  Mechatronics/microcontroller education for mechanical engineering students at the University of South Carolina , 2005 .

[20]  William Singhose,et al.  Involving High School Students In A University Level Mechanical Engineering Design Competition , 2005 .

[21]  William Singhose,et al.  AN INTERNET-DRIVEN TOWER CRANE FOR DYNAMICS AND CONTROLS EDUCATION , 2006 .

[22]  C. Hmelo‐Silver,et al.  Scaffolding and Achievement in Problem-Based and Inquiry Learning: A Response to Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006) , 2007 .

[23]  C. Hmelo‐Silver,et al.  Scaffolding and Achievement in Problem-Based and Inquiry Learning: A Response to Kirschner, Sweller, and Clark (2006) , 2007 .

[24]  William Singhose,et al.  Using mechatronics to teach mechanical design and technical communication , 2008 .

[25]  Michael H. Kenison,et al.  Input Shaping Control of Double-Pendulum Bridge Crane Oscillations , 2008 .