2.017J | Fall 2009 | Undergraduate

Design of Electromechanical Robotic Systems

Course Description

This course covers the design, construction, and testing of field robotic systems, through team projects with each student responsible for a specific subsystem. Projects focus on electronics, instrumentation, and machine elements. Design for operation in uncertain conditions is a focus point, with ocean waves and …
This course covers the design, construction, and testing of field robotic systems, through team projects with each student responsible for a specific subsystem. Projects focus on electronics, instrumentation, and machine elements. Design for operation in uncertain conditions is a focus point, with ocean waves and marine structures as a central theme. Topics include basic statistics, linear systems, Fourier transforms, random processes, spectra, ethics in engineering practice, and extreme events with applications in design.
Learning Resource Types
menu_book Online Textbook
group_work Projects with Examples
assignment Problem Sets
A long slim white hull sits in a cradle, with PVC/Styrofoam pontoons extending to the sides, and a solar panel and periscope assembly sitting on top.
An energy-harvesting autonomous vessel built by students in Fall 2009 to operate in the Charles River. It’s based on a Wheeler model sailboat hull, augmented with two pontoons for stability, two thrusters, and a 5W solar panel. Instrumentation includes a sonar range sensor, a camera, GPS, compass, and a computer for control. (Photo by Franz Hover. Used with permission.)