SYSTEM-DESIGN VIA SMALL MOBILE ROBOTS

In the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at Northeaste rn University, we have developed an upper-level course that focuses on the creative design and implementation of a complete system. In this course, the students design small mobile robots to perform a task spec ified at the beginning of the quarter. The designs are evaluated by ho w well they complete the specified task. The mobile robot systems are developed through a sequence of subsystem design projects. These subsy stems are developed and demonstrated in the laboratory component of th e course. The lectures focus on providing the information required to design the system, on the more practical aspects of engineering practi ce, and on showing how more theoretical concepts learned in other cour ses can be applied in practice. This course has been offered twice and we deduce from the students' designs and evaluations that it has been successful.