Development of mechatronics course in the School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech

Abstract

As the field and applications of mechatronics grows, engineering education must grow with it to meet the changing needs of students and industry. How to teach mechatronics continues to be an open area for discussion. The subject remains broad, encompassing, and continually changing. The paper focuses on the structure and growth of the mechatronics course in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. The goal is to provide students with a fun, hands-on, challenging, and timely education in mechatronics. An overview of the course and the laboratory experiences is presented. Student projects are included to highlight the topics tackled in the course. The changes taking place to expand and improve the course are discussed. Also, a discussion of future topics for mechatronics education is presented.