Robotics Electives

Suggested Courses for ME Students Interested in Robotics, updated October 2021.

Courses with an asterisk* have not been offered for at least one academic year and may not be available.

Technical Electives:

For students graduating before 2022, a limit of 6 credits of List #2 technical electives can be used to satisfy the 15 credits of technical electives required to earn a BSME degree. There is no limit in List #1 technical electives. For students graduating in 2022 or later, a limit of 3 credits of List #2 technical electives can be used to satisfy the 12 credits of technical electives required to earn a BSME degree. There is no limit in List #1 technical electives.

Be sure to consult the current list of approved technical electives for the year in which you plan to graduate to make sure the courses listed below are valid technical electives.

List #1 Technical Electives

• IME 3604 Kinematics and Dyanmics of Machinery
  Kinematic analysis and design of cams, gears, and linkages, velocity, acceleration and force analysis, kinematic synthesis, balancing, kinematic and force analysis by complex numbers, computer-aided analysis, and synthesis of linkages. Pre: ESM 2304. (3H,3C)
• ME 4754 Mechatronics: Advanced Topics and Applications 
  Electromechanical design and control applications. Design and building of electronic interfaces and controllers including sensors, actuators, signal acquisition, filtering, and conditioning for applications. Systems integration with wireless communication; image processing; embedded programs for data acquisition and feedback control applications. Pre: 4744. (3H,3C)
• ME4984: Special Study: Human-Robot Interaction
• ME 4034: Bio-Inspired Technology
  ntroduction to engineering solutions inspired by biological systems. Overview over the approach of bio-inspired technology and the state of the art. Exploration of the relationship between engineered and natural biological systems. Explanation of concepts of biological systems, such as evolutionary optimization, sensing, actuation, control, system integration, assembly and materials in engineering terms. Practice of interdisciplinary analysis skills in technical report writing projects where man-made and biological systems are evaluated for parallels to engineering and their technological potential. Pre: (PHYS 2205, PHYS 2206) or (PHYS 2305, PHYS 2306). (3H,3C)
• ME 4634: Intro to CAD/CAM
  Participants will study the computer-aided design and manufacturing of mechanical systems. A mechanical system will be designed including preliminary design, analysis, detail design, numerical control programming, and documentation. Applications programs will be written and interfaced to the CAD/CAM database. All assignments will be carried out on a CAD/CAM system. Pre: 3024. (2H,3L,3C)
• ME4624: Finite Element Practice in Mech Design
  Application of the finite element method to stress analysis problems in mechanical design. Modeling techniques, proper use of existing computer programs, interpreting of results, application to design modification. Pre: 3624. (3H,3C)
• ME 4674: Materials Selection in Mech Design
  Systematic approach to materials selection accounting for market need, functional requirements, shape, safety, cost and environmental issues. Overview of design process, material property charts, material indices, selection of materials with multiple constraints and/or conflicting objectives, shape factors, design considerations in hybrid materials, environmental issues as well as several case studies. Pre: ESM 2204, MSE 2034. Co: 3624. (3H,3C)
• ME 4864: Micro/Nano-Robotics
  Overview of Micro/Nano-robotic systems. Physics of reduced length scales (scaling effects in the physical parameters, surface forces, contact mechanics, and Micro/Nano-scale dynamical phenomena), Basics of Micro/Nano-manufacturing, microfabrication and soft lithography, Biomimetic design strategies for mobile micro-robots, Principle of transduction, material properties and characteristics of Micro/Nano-actuators (piezoelectric, shape-memory alloy, and a variety of MEMS and polymer actuators), Control requirements and challenges of Micro/Nano-actuators, Micro/Nano sensors for mobile microrobotic applications, Micro/Nano-manipulation (scanning probe microscopy, operation principles, designing experiments for nanoscale mechanical characterization of desired samples). Pre: (MATH 2214 or MATH 2214H or MATH 2406H), ME 3414, ME 3524, ESM 2204. (3H,3C)
• ME4974:  Independent study
  (must be directly related to major to count as major elective, contact academic advisor for more information.)
• ME4994:  Undergraduate research
  (must be directly related to major to count as major elective, contact academic advisor for more information)