On The Vertical Integration Of Mechatronics At Virginia Tech

This paper focuses on the vertical integration of mechatronics in the mechanical engineering curriculum at Virginia Tech. It reports the details of an experimental strategy to integrate mechatronics at an early level in the education of engineers. A proposal was submitted to and accepted by NSF/SUCCEED to fund this experiment. Through this assistance, the experiment of vertically integrating mechatronics was initiated. This paper presents the methodology in which it was integrated -through optional participation in a sophomore design class. Selected sections were exposed to the concepts of mechatronic design, along with the normal course material. Students in the mechatronics sections were also given an opportunity to incorporate the use of a custom-built VT Project Box and the PIC Visual Development (PVD) software, both of which were created specifically for the task of vertical integration of mechatronics. Throughout the semester, the students were given several demonstrations of mechatronic systems through the use of the project box and software. Many students decided to implement mechatronic concepts in their final design projects. A smaller number of students made a decision to use the project box and software to develop a prototype of their final design project. Candid remarks about the students experiences, obtained from a survey at the semester’s end, indicated that the vertical integration of mechatronics was a motivational feature in the second-year curriculum.