Work in progress: A capstone course in practical control systems through mechatronics

Mechatronics is inherently abstract. However, the concepts and applications can lead to practical issues as in control system implementation. The mechatronics program at the University of Calgary is aiming at the intersection of practical and abstract. In a yearlong experiential learning course involving a sequence of labs, students are asked to consider issues of control saturation, tuning, bias, operating range and linearity in design of combined mechanical and control systems. Graduates of the program are uniquely trained as mechatronics engineers, different from mechanical, manufacturing, electrical or instrumentation engineers. Success can be measured by both student satisfaction, via exit surveys and course evaluations, and from career opportunities found of graduates. The latter has shown to be successful in placements ranging from research to design.