UW Engineering
Mechatronics Option
The departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and Systems Design Engineering provide an Option in Mechatronics for 3rd and 4th students. This option is provided in response to a growing demand in the manufacturing industrial sector for engineers with interdisciplinary fundamentals and skills in mechanical systems, electrical systems and computer systems, and who are effective in integrated design of manufacturing products and processes incorporating these disciplines. This webpage provides background for the Option in Mechatronics and details the logistics and course requirements for students taking the option.
What is Mechatronics?
Mechatronics is synergic design of computer controlled electro-mechanical systems. Mechatronic design encompasses many of the topics associated with traditional engineering disciplines, as illustrated in the diagram below.
Figure 1. Mechatronics Subject
Area Intersections [Craig]
Why a Mechatronics Option at UW?
Many of the subject areas in mechatronics are already an integral part of the present programs in the three departments, but none of the programs encompass all the necessary topics. It makes sense to supplement the education of students in existing programs with the missing subject areas for a mechatronics specialization. This will result in different "flavours" of mechatronic engineers from the three departments, however this is beneficial in that the needs in industry are also varied. To a large extent, students can take the option within their normal program by appropriate choice of technical and general electives plus one or two extra courses. The program option provides the required subject areas for an well-educated mechatronics engineer while making it relatively easy for students to integrate the option with their regular programs.
Subject Area Requirements
The following is a list of subject areas that should be part of the education of an engineer specializing in mechatronics.
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Mechanical Systems:
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Electrical Systems:
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Computer Systems:
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Control Systems:
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Mechatronics Project:
In addition to the subject areas described above, a significant mechatronic design project is considered an essential part of a mechatronics education. The purpose of the design project is to give the student experience in designing systems that need to integrate the various technologies they have learn about in the option. These projects should be based on real physical systems, and could be associated with a particular industrial application. The project should be conducted as a team effort, preferably with students from different departments forming the team. This is intended to give the students experience in working on a design team with team members possessing multidisciplinary backgrounds. Project planning, presentations and reporting should be an integral part of these projects.
UW Engineering Courses Representing the Subject Areas
A certain common background in some foundation subjects is assumed to be present in the normal core courses of students in each department. Therefore the students will have at least one course in the following topics: circuit analysis, computer programming, computer systems, numerical analysis, statistical analysis, control theory, and thermodynamics. The remaining courses in the option build on this fundamental background.
It is clear that all the courses and topics cannot be covered in an option that spans three departments. Therefore, only a few courses are designated as compulsory while a large number of courses may be selected from the specified course groupings. The compulsory courses include one of two in mechanical system analysis, one of two in energy conversion, one of two in circuits, and a course in microcomputer interfacing.
Option Structure
Course Requirements:
The program is defined in terms of three levels of courses. Level 1 courses are the courses which are a normal part of the students' program in the three departments and which defined a base background for the option. These are given in Table 1 for each department. A list of course titles is given in Appendix A.
Table 1. Level 1 Courses
(fundamental) in the Mechatronics Option
|
Topic |
Electrical |
Computer |
Mechanical |
Systems Design |
|
Electrical Circuit Analysis 1 |
E&CE 100 |
E&CE 100 |
GenE 123 |
SYDE 283 |
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Computer Programming |
E&CE 150 |
E&CE 150 |
GenE 121 |
SYDE 121 |
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Digital Computers |
E&CE 222 |
E&CE 222 |
ME 262 |
SYDE 192 |
|
Numerical Analysis |
E&CE 204 |
E&CE 204 |
ME 303 |
SYDE 312 |
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Control Systems |
E&CE 380 |
E&CE 380 |
ME 360 |
SYDE 352 |
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Statistical Analysis |
E&CE 316 |
E&CE 316 |
ME 202 |
SYDE 213 |
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Thermodynamics |
E&CE 309 |
E&CE 309* |
ME 250 |
SYDE 381 |
* this is an extra course for the computer engineering students.
The Level 2 courses are the four courses that are considered core courses for the option. For students in each department, some of these are part of their normal program while others are required as extra courses. It is expected that students will have to replace a CSE or shift one or more of their normal technical courses. These courses are summarized in Table 2.
Table 2. Level 2 Courses
(core) in the Mechatronics Option (term)
|
Topic |
Electrical |
Computer |
Mechanical |
Systems Design |
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Circuit Analysis and Design |
E&CE 241 (S,F) |
E&CE 241 (S,F) |
E&CE 241(S,F) or SYDE 292 (F) |
SYDE 292 (F) |
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Kinematics and Dynamics of Machines |
ME 321 (W,S) or SYDE 382 (W) |
ME 321 (W,S) or SYDE 382 (W) |
ME 321 (W,S) |
SYDE 382 (W) |
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Microcomputer Systems and Interfacing |
E&CE 324 (W) |
E&CE 324 (W) |
E&CE 325 (W) |
E&CE 325 (W) |
|
Energy Systems and Components |
E&CE 362 (W) |
E&CE 362 (W) |
ME 269 (F,W) |
E&CE 362 (W) or ME 269 (F,W) |
The third set of courses is the Level 3 courses, which represent elective courses in the different subject areas of the option. The students must take at least one course from each of the five groups presented in Table 3.
Table 3. Level 3 Courses
(Electives) for the Mechatronics Option (term)
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Group Topic |
Electrical and Computer |
Mechanical |
Systems Design |
|
Actuators and Sensors |
E&CE 463 (S) |
ME 561 (S,F) |
------ |
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Computer Systems |
E&CE 354 (W) |
------ |
SYDE 372 (W) |
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Digital Control Systems |
E&CE 484 (S,F) |
------ |
------ |
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Robotics and Automation |
E&CE 486 (W) E&CE 457 (S) |
ME 547 (W) |
SYDE 422 (W) |
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Mechanical Systems |
------ |
ME 322 (F,W) |
SYDE 454 (W) |
Mechatronics Project:
Each student in the option must take at least a one term Mechatronics Project Course in the 4A term. This project course satisfies the CEAB requirement of a significant design experience. The project must be multidisciplinary in nature and be approved by the faculty mechatronics coordinator. The intent is that this project should be undertaken in a multidisciplinary team environment. Since there are significant differences in the requirements and manner in which the three departments run their final year design projects, each student on a project team must meet his/her home department rules.
Program Implementation
Considerable co-operation between the departments is required to successfully mount an option such as this. Students from each department participating in the option will be taking courses in the other departments. Also, the students will require some flexibility in arranging their normal course requirements to permit them to take the course they require within the option. This section first considers how students may manage their courses to fulfill the requirements of the mechatronics option.
Electrical Engineering Students Taking the Option
The fundamental courses are all part of the normal program for Electrical Engineering students as outlined in Table 1. Two of the options core courses, E&CE 241 and E&CE 362 are also part of the normal program for the electrical students. E&CE 324 needs to be taken as an extra course since this is not part of the normal Electrical program. The Electrical students could take this with the Computer Engineering students in their 3B term in place of a CSE, which they would make up as an extra course. In this case they could also replace E&CE 309 in their 3A term with ME 321 to complete their core requirements. The E&CE 309, or equivalent could be taken later as an extra course.
The second possibility would be the replacement of their 3B CSE with either ME 321 or SYDE 382, and the replacement of E&CE 309 in 3A with a special version of E&CE 324 offered in the spring term specifically for students in the option. In both scenarios, the students will have to make up the CSE and E&CE 309 or equivalent.
The students would then do their Level 3 courses in 4th year. In their 4A term, the choice is rather limited since the students only have three technical electives at this time. They would have to take E&CE 481 and one of E&CE 463 or ME 547 in their 4A term. In their 4B term they have 4 technical electives which will allow them to complete one course from each of the remaining three groups of courses listed in Table 3.
Finally, it is expected that the Electrical students will do a Mechatronics Project as part of the new Engineering Design Project course sequence in the Electrical Engineering program.
Computer Engineering Students Taking the Option
The fundamental courses listed in Table 1 are covered as part of the core program for Electrical, Mechanical and Systems Design students, however the Computer Engineering students are missing the thermodynamics course, E&CE 309. Computer Engineering students can take this or an equivalent thermodynamics course as a TBE or instead of a CSE in their 2BQ term. Two of the options core courses (Table 2), E&CE 241 and E&CE 324 are also part of the normal program for the Computer Engineering students. Then, ME 321 or SYDE 382 could be taken in 3AQ as another TBE or in place of a CSE, and ME 269 or E&CE 362 could be taken as an extra course or in place of a CSE in the 3BQ term, to complete the core requirement. Students can make up missed CSEs during a work term or as an extra course in an academic term. Note that there is some flexibility where these courses are taken and there may be scheduling constraints that affect the choice for any particular class.
In fourth year, the students need to take at least one course from each of the 5 groups listed in Table 3. Because of the limited availability of the courses in these groups, students will need to take E&CE 484 (group 3) and either E&CE 463 or ME 561 (group 1) in their 4AQ term. As part of the 3AQ core program, students have already taken E&CE 354 which is a group 2 course, so they are not required to take another course in group 2. The remaining courses are the 4AQ core, which includes E&CE 427 and the design project E&CE 492A and one additional TE, TBE or CSE. In their 4BQ term, the minimum requirement is for the students to take at least one of the available courses from group 4 (E&CE 486, ME 547, SYDE 422 or SYDE 558) and one from group 5 (ME 322, ME 524 or SYDE 454). The remaining three courses in 4BQ could be any combinations of TE, TBE or CSEs that will result in the student satisfying ALL the Computer Engineering Degree requirements.
Finally, it is expected that the Electrical students will do a Mechatronics Project as part of the new Engineering Design Project course sequence in the Electrical Engineering program.
Mechanical Engineering Students Taking the Option
Level 1: The seven background courses listed in Table 1 are all part of the normal core program for Mechanical Engineering students.
Level 2: Two of the four required option core courses listed in Table 2 (ME 269 and ME 321) are part of the normal core program for Mechanical Engineering students. The Level 2 Circuit Analysis and Design course (E&CE 241 or SYDE 292) and the Microprocessor Systems and Interfacing course (E&CE 325) must be taken in 3A and 3B. The order in which a student takes these courses depends on whether the student is in the 4-stream or the 8-stream sequence - E&CE 325 is only offered in the winter term. Students in 3A (in either stream) will be required to take an extra course, while students in 3B may defer the CSE course and replace this with a level 2 course. However, if the CSE is deferred in the 3B term, it must be made up by taking a CSE as an extra course before graduation, during a work term by distance education, or by taking a CSE (under a letter of permission) at another university.
Level 3: One of the Level 3 courses listed in Table 3 (ME 322 - Mechanical Design 1) is a 3B core course; the remaining courses may be taken as technical electives in 4th year. In the 4A term, Mechanical Engineering students must take ME 561 (in the Actuators and Sensors category) and E&CE 484 (in the Control Systems category), and ME 547 in the 4B term. Courses from other categories may be taken in 4A or 4B as required.
Mechatronics Project: Mechanical Engineering students are required to take the ME481 Mechanical Engineering Design Project in the 4A term. It is recommended (but not mandatory) that this be continued with ME482 in the 4B term.
Systems Design Engineering Students Taking the Option
The background courses (Level 1) are all part of the normal program for Systems Design Engineering students as outlined in Table 1. Two of the option core (Level 2) courses, SYDE 292 and SYDE 382, are also part of the normal program for the Systems Design students. The microcomputer systems course E&CE 324 needs to be taken as an extra course by Systems Design Engineering students in their 3B winter term in place of a CSE. The Level 2 Energy Systems course (E&CE 362 or ME 269) can be taken as a CSE replacement in the 2B Fall term The students will have to make up the 2B and 3B CSE courses to get the Level 2 courses they need for the option.
The students would then do their Level 3 courses in 4th year. In
their 4A term, Systems Design Engineering students would have to take E&CE
484 to get the required Digital Control Systems course. Courses from the other
four groups can be taken in 4A or 4B as desired. Finally, Systems Design
Engineering students who wish to get the Mechatronics Option will use their
SYDE 461 and SYDE 462 workshop courses for the Mechatronics Project courses
(4A and 4B terms).