System design via small mobile robots

In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeastern University, we have developed an upper-level course that focuses on the creative design and implementation of a complete system. In this course, the students design small mobile robots to perform a task specified at the beginning of the quarter. The designs are evaluated by how well they complete the specified task. The mobile robot systems are developed through a sequence of subsystem design projects. These subsystems are developed and demonstrated in the laboratory component of the course. The lectures focus on providing the information required to design the system, on the more practical aspects of engineering practice, and on showing how more theoretical concepts learned in other courses can be applied in practice. This course has been offered twice and we deduce from the students’ designs and evaluations that it has been successful.