Graduate mechatronics course: final group projects

Final group projects are an integral part of the graduate mechatronics course, "Introduction to Mechatronics", in the Woodruff School of Mechanical Engineering at Georgia Tech. Students are able to develop both practical and theoretical understanding of mechatronics while working on their final group projects. They also develop interpersonal and communication skills necessary to work in a multi-disciplinary field. To assist students, a framework has been developed to help them realize goals they propose for their final group project. It helps them to work effectively within a team environment and present their projects utilizing different media outlets, such as writing technical reports, developing web pages for their final group projects, and making oral presentations. This framework includes lecture topics covered in class, project requirements, grading methods, material resources, and support from graduate teaching assistants, electronic, and machine shop. In this paper, the framework and example projects demonstrating its effectiveness will be presented.