2024/25 Undergraduate Module Catalogue

MECH3895 Individual Mechatronics and Robotics Project

50 creditsClass Size: 100

Module manager: Professor Abbas Dehghani
Email: A.A.Dehghani-sanj@leeds.ac.uk

Taught: Semesters 1 & 2 (Sep to Jun) View Timetable

Year running 2024/25

Co-requisites

ELEC3030

Professional Studies

Module replaces

ELEC 3875 Individual Engineering Project

This module is not approved as a discovery module

Module summary

This module introduces how various electro-mechanical components can be integrated and work together. The module covers real industrial systems and the practical integration of the whole system using controllers and supervisory control and data acquisition. The lecture components include the fundamental theories on design principles of mechatronic systems, pneumatic systems, large scale system integration, system interface and control strategies. The Individual Engineering Project gives third year students the opportunity to choose a project area in which they can carry out research and apply knowledge gained from core engineering modules, with a particular focus on the design of control systems, integration of sensors and actuators, electrical and mechanical mechanisms, and demonstration of such a system with appropriate software. Students will make use of professional skills, including project planning, risks and management. Delivery of a final project report will give students the opportunity to apply critical analysis and detailed research in addition to developing their communication skills.

Objectives

Mechatronics Design addresses the theoretical and practical issues related to the concurrent and optimised design of mechatronic and robotic systems, providing a case-study, problem-solving approach. The module introduces the modelling, simulation and analytical tools for mechatronic integration.
Students will complete a major individual engineering project under the supervision of an individual member of the academic staff (from MECH, ELEC or COMP). Students will apply professional skills (developed in ELEC3030), including project management, risk management, decision making and identifying and managing cost drivers.

On completion of this module, students should be able to
- Become proficient in applying concurrent design concepts in mechatronics and robotics
- Become proficient in the use of software and hardware tools and be able to use them in mechatronics systems design.
- Understand the differences among various tools and systems and be able to select the right tool and system for the design of mechatronics systems.
- Have a good understanding of more advanced control design techniques: motion control, adaptive control, fuzzy logic control, and multivariable control.
- Learn how to design a mechatronics system that is reliable, flexible, intelligent, etc.
- Understand the digital implementation of control and basic digital control design techniques.
- Be familiar with various materials used in mechatronics systems
- Be familiar with Electro-mechanical systems.
- Appreciate where to locate literature pertinent to their engineering project and position their work against it;
- Have had experience in approaching an engineering problem in a systematic and rigorous manner;
- Be able to apply logical reasoning based on a firm knowledge of engineering science and design, gained in earlier years;
- Have developed powers of critical assessment and analysis;
- Have developed effective communication skills.

Learning outcomes
1. A comprehensive knowledge and understanding of the scientific principles and methodology necessary to underpin their education in their engineering discipline, and an understanding and know-how of the scientific principles of related disciplines, to enable appreciation of the scientific and engineering context, and to support their understanding of relevant historical, current and future developments and technologies (SM1m)
2. Ability to apply and integrate knowledge and understanding of other engineering disciplines to support study of their own engineering discipline and the ability to evaluate them critically and to apply them effectively (SM3m)
3. Awareness of developing technologies related to mechatronic and robotic engineering (SM4m)
4. A comprehensive knowledge and understanding of mathematical and computational models relevant to the engineering discipline, and an appreciation of their limitations (SM5m)
5. Understanding of concepts from a range of areas, including some outside engineering, and the ability to evaluate them critically and to apply them effectively in engineering projects (SM6m)
6. Understanding of engineering principles and the ability to apply them to undertake critical analysis of key engineering processes (EA1m)
7. Ability to identify, classify and describe the performance of systems and components through the use of analytical methods and modelling techniques (EA2)
8. Ability to apply quantitative and computational methods, using alternative approaches and understanding their limitations, in order to solve engineering problems and implement appropriate action (EA3m)
9. Ability to use fundamental knowledge to investigate new and emerging technologies (EA5m)
10. Ability to extract and evaluate pertinent data and to apply engineering analysis techniques in the solution of unfamiliar problems (EA6m)
11. Investigate and define the problem, identifying any constraints including environmental and sustainability limitations; ethical, health, safety, security and risk issues; intellectual property; codes of practice and standards (D2)
12. Work with information that may be incomplete or uncertain, quantify the effect of this on the design and, where appropriate, use theory or experimental research to mitigate deficiencies (D3m)
13. Communicate their work to technical and non-technical audiences (D6)
14. Demonstrate the ability to generate an innovative design for products, systems, components or processes to fulfil new needs (D8m)
15. Knowledge and understanding of management techniques, including project and change management, that may be used to achieve engineering objectives, their limitations, and how they may be applied appropriately (EL3m)
16. Understanding of contexts in which engineering knowledge can be applied (eg operations and management, application and development of technology, etc) (P1)
17. Understanding of the use of technical literature and other information sources (P4)
18. Awareness of quality issues and their application to continuous improvement (P7)
19. Ability to work with technical uncertainty (P8)
20. A thorough understanding of current practice and its limitations, and some appreciation of likely new developments (P9m)
21. Apply their skills in problem solving, communication, information retrieval, working with others and the effective use of general IT facilities (G1)
22. Plan self-learning and improve performance, as the foundation for lifelong learning/CPD (G2)
23. Monitor and adjust a personal programme of work on an on-going basis (G3m)
24. Exercise initiative and personal responsibility, which may be as a team member or leader (G4)

Syllabus

Covering two terms, the engineering project comprises some or all of the following elements: analysis, design, experimentation or computation. Hence, experience is gained of the type of detailed engineering project work commonly encountered in industry.

Focus is on the integrated design of mechatronic and robotic systems, including; design of control systems, integration of sensors and actuators, electrical and mechanical mechanisms, and demonstration of such a system with appropriate software. Additional lectures will include aspects of literature searching and reviewing, and critical thinking.

Each student carries out an individual engineering project under the supervision of an individual member of the academic staff. During the first term students are required to present a scope and plan document, which is to clearly identify the scope of their engineering project based on a literature search and project planning. Descriptions of engineering project areas are posted in week 0; students make 5 choices.

Teaching methods

Delivery type	Number	Length hours	Student hours
Lecture	20	1.00	20.00
Tutorial	20	0.50	10.00
Private study hours			470.00
Total Contact hours			30.00
Total hours (100hr per 10 credits)			500.00

Private study

The requirement for high level of independent study is to allow students to perform a significant engineering project independently. Supervisors provide one to one meetings in which to guide and advise the student on their progress and approach. The lectures introduce students to research methodologies and the integrated design of mechatronic and robotic systems.

Opportunities for Formative Feedback

Students will have regular feedback on their project plans and progress from their academic supervisor at least once every 2 weeks.
An online discussion board will be monitored during specified times each week.

Methods of assessment

Coursework

Assessment type	Notes	% of formal assessment
Report	Engineering Project Report	50.00
Oral Presentation	Individual Presentation	20.00
Report	Project Scope and Plan Report	20.00
Project	Conduct	10.00
Total percentage (Assessment Coursework)		100.00

A resit will be undertaken in the next academic year. Students must satisfy certain threshold conditions of competence in order to be awarded the credits for this module. These additional competences are specified in the project module handbook, and typically relate to; - Participation in any activities deemed necessary by the university or the project supervisor to undertake work to ethical standards, safely, and competently using workshop or research laboratory facilities - Certain UK-SPEC Engineering Council learning outcomes required for accreditation that are uniquely assessed in this module - Technical writing meeting a minimum standard expected by the Office for Students (OfS)

Reading list

The reading list is available from the Library website

Last updated: 29/04/2024 16:16:42

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