This course would be beneficial to all engineers or technicians with some familiarity with engineering principles and design who would like to get a jump-start on designing and building mechatronic systems; Managers or academics who are interested in gaining skills to better plan or manage multidisciplinary projects or communicate with their staff with various backgrounds; Students who want to gain skills that are attractive to current employers.

The Mechatronics Revolution is upon us. Never before has it been easier to build robotic devices and computer-controlled machines. The confluence of low-cost embedded computers, sensors, and actuators has made experimentation and prototyping easier than ever. Course modules will explore the mechatronics design process, fundamentals of microcontrollers, embedded systems programming, actuator control, and sensor interfacing. 

Mechatronics and robotics systems are at the heart of physical automation, computer vision, automotive engineering, and act as a vector for engineers to develop solutions for the future. This reliance on mechatronics for such crucial infrastructure and core industrial areas leads to a demand for engineers with the relevant knowledge and expertise. This introductory online course teaches how to program Arm-based microcontrollers and utilise optical sensors. Learners will gain a basic understanding of autonomous control, power supply and sensor technology, and control theory.

• Recognize and describe the elements of a microcontroller as well as the operating principles of motors, sensors, and circuits commonly used in mechatronic devices
• Create basic programs for microcontrollers using interrupt-driven programming
• Design and implement microcontroller programs that read from sensors and achieve appropriate actuator commands
• Implement a mechatronic device using actuators, sensors, and a microcontroller command processor

Through several hands-on labs, students will solidify their knowledge of core mechatronics concepts and gain real-world experience building their own mechatronic systems. Upon successful completion of the course, students will be equipped with the fundamental knowledge they need to harness the Mechatronics Revolution.

Module 1: Overview of Microcontrollers

Topic 1: What is Mechatronics?

Topic 2: Introduction to Microcontroller Technology

Module 2: Circuits and Electrical Components

Topic 1: Basic Circuit Concepts

Topic 2: Semiconductor Circuit Elements

Topic 3: Example Circuits for Mechatronic Devices

Module 3: Microcontroller Fundamentals

Topic 1: Integer Math

Topic 2: C Programming for Microcontrollers

Topic 3: General-Purpose Input Output

Topic 4: Interrupt-Driven Programming

Topic 5: Clocks and Timers

Module 4: Motors and Servos

Topic 1: Actuators for Mechatronic Systems

Topic 2: Brushed DC Motors

Topic 3: Pulse Width Modulation and Servo Control

Module 5: Sensors and Microcontroller Interfacing

Topic 1: Sensors for Mechatronic Systems

Topic 2: Analog-to-Digital Conversion

Topic 3: Universal Asynchronous Receiver-Transmitter (UART)

Topic 4: I2C and Serial Peripheral Interface (SPI)

Topic 5: Examples of Sensor-Microcontroller Integration

Module 6: Building Mechatronic Systems

Topic 1: Building a Hexapod Robot

Topic 2: Building a Line Following Robot