The main goal of the course is a deeper understanding of components and their interaction in modern mechatronic systems.

The course is divided into two phases:
Reverse Engineering (Understand) and Prototyping (Apply)

The students are divided into small groups (2-3 people) and get supervised access to the laboratories, where they first have analyse a mechatronic system (such as printers, scanners, hard disk, ...) and later build a prototype according to a given task.

In the first part (Reverse Engineering) the students learn to understand the individual components of their assigned systems and develop simple demonstrators for each actuator and sensor. The necessary materials for the operation of the analog and/or digital circuits will be available. However, an independent acquiring of the skills necessary will be assumed (data sheets, documentation, microcontrollers, op amps, etc).

In the second part (Prototyping) every group receives a certain task. Based on the knowledge gained in the first project phase, the students will design and implement a mechatronic prototype. A solution is not precisely defined, but is regularly discussed with the supervisors. The results will be evaluated during a presentation at the end of the course.

Over the whole course, the students will discuss their ideas, concepts and specific questions with the supervisors in periodic project meetings, which shall encourage independent solutions and guarantee a continous progress. If the students ever get stuck in between, a tutor (which has gone through the course himself) with help and advice.

In summary, the lecture covers the following points:

• Get knowledge of mechatronic components through reverse engineering
• Building of simple demonstrators for diverse sensors and actuators based on the given systems
• Independent design, evaluation and refinement of self-made prototypes solving a practical challenge

Compulsory attendance is only neccesary during the preliminary discussion, the project meetings (about 20 minutes every second week) and the presentations (ending of project phase 1 and 2).

During the lab afternoons no compulsory attendance is given. However, it has turned out that the laboratories are extensively used, since only there support by the tutor and unrestricted access to the necessary measuring instruments and laboratory equipment is given.

• Continuous evaluation based on periodic project meetings
• Continuous documentation using a lab-book
• Presentation of the stand-alone demonstrators (senors, actuators)
• Functional prototype of a mechatronic system for a practical problem (e.g. simple positioning system)

Due to the participant restriction, registered studentes who do not show up in the first lecture, will be replaced by students from the waiting list. Therefore we ask interested students from the waiting list to visit the perliminary discussion.