Special Topics in Robotics: Practicum in Robotic Systems Design

3 units

This is an exciting hands-on course where teams of students (in groups of 4-6) will put a broad range of their engineering skills to use by designing, constructing, and debugging a complex electro-mechanical robotic system. The robotic system will be targeted at some proposed real-world application. Each team will engineer and implement their own solution to the problem. This course is designed to teach students how to apply their theory-based classroom engineering knowledge by exposing students to the design/test/debug/iterate process needed to develop a working integrated system. Some of the topics/skills experienced in the class will include feedback control, real sensor/actuator implementation, circuit design/layout, soldering, asynchronous programming, project management, Design-For-Manufacturability, and more. Students will use the WUSTL Maker Space in this class to learn other valuable hands-on skills (e.g. CAD, CNC machining, 3D printing, laser cutting, etc.).