Proposed Course:

ENG450: Multidisciplinary Design

Bob Dennis

Vision

• To establish a multidisciplinary major design experience that provides systems engineering training for undergraduate students, with additional opportunities:

- to span more than one term.

- hands on prototyping experience.

- include students from many levels.

Objectives

• Offer Pilot course Winter 2004 & 2005• Transform into a permanent course• Expand on the basis of student demand• Offer year round (Fall & Winter)• Identify additional project sponsors• Track students into projects…jobs• Work with departments to encourage

counting as senior design credit

Interested Faculty

• 14 “design” faculty from most of the engineering departments expressed strong interest and attended our initial meetings in August & September.

Core Faculty: Pilot Course

• Robert Dennis Mechanical & Biomedical

Engineering

• Nilton Renno Atmospheric, Oceanic & Space Sci.

• Sridhar Kota Mechanical Engineering

• Thomas Zurbuchen AOSS & Space Phys Res Lab

Additional faculty

• Identify faculty “Design Mission Mentors”• Commitment for 2-3 years for each Mission• Wide range of knowledge domains:

- electromechanical systems- spacecraft design- materials & design- extra-terrestrial environments- CAD/CAM- dynamics & controls- software- many others….

Pilot Course Structure

• 20-30 enrolled students• Lectures: Modern Design Process

Domain specific lectures• Design Mission: NASA Mars Robot Base• Open-ended Conceptual Design• Guest lectures (external & internal)• Leverage existing departmental resources• Offer Winter 2004 & 2005

Modern Design ProcessTemplate: ME450 & BME450

Problem definition: quantitative definition of the engineering problem or opportunity

Design specification: definition of quantitative figures of merit (FoM) for performance

Concept generation: collect and categorize a large number of design concepts

Concept evaluation: quantitatively evaluate each design concept

Convergence: reduce the number of concepts by merging the best attributes of each

Concept selection: identify the best concept(s) for detailed engineering design & analysis

Detailed design & analysis: utilize engineering design and analysis tools

Alpha prototype construction: sub-system prototyping, demonstrate “proof of concept”

Alpha prototype evaluation: evaluate on the basis of the FoM from the Specification

Re-design: evaluate failures and identify opportunities to improve performance

Beta prototype construction: focus on system integration

Beta prototype evaluation: evaluate system level performance

Project Wrap-up/Transition: document the design in detail for future students

Credit & Prerequisites

• Pilot: Senior capstone designEnrolled students: seniors…Participating students: any interested!

• Credit toward degree set by negotiation with individual departments:

Senior Design RequirementTechnical ElectiveFree Elective (default)

Systems Focus

• Design mission: open-ended

• Projects span multiple terms

• Focus on system integration

• System level design & testing specification

• Continuous re-evaluation of design objectives

• System-level integration: prototype

• Evaluation of function: Figures of Merit

Sponsors• External:

NASA (Pilot: Mars autonomous base)BiomedicalAutomotiveDefenseFoundation support

Corporate Relations: very involved in sponsor identification & continuity. CoE-wide sponsor identification & sorting.

Fee structure to support infrastructure & FTE in corporate relations for project marketing.

• Internal (in support of major research efforts):Medical schoolEngineering

Multidisciplinary Design: ABET ImpactEngineering programs must demonstrate that their graduates have:

A- An ability to apply knowledge of mathematics, science and engineering

B- An ability to design and conduct experiments, as well as to analyze and

interpret data

C- An ability to design a system, component, or process to meet desired needs

D- An ability to function on multi-disciplinary teams

E- An ability to identify, formulate, and solve engineering problems

F- An understanding of professional and ethical responsibility

G- An ability to communicate effectively

H- The broad education necessary to understand the impact of engineering

solutions in a global and societal context

I- A recognition of the need for, and an ability to engage in life-long learning

J- A knowledge of contemporary issues

K- An ability to use the techniques, skills, and modern engineering tools

necessary for engineering practice.

Additional Skills & Professional Development

• Leadership & organization skills Project management

• Research & independent learning• Engagement in long-term complex project• Communication

- cross disciplines- with sponsors- between teams (system integration)- backward & forward in time (documentation)

Future Development• Identify excellent sponsors• Add carefully selected Design Missions• Expand student enrollment• Develop pool of involved faculty “mentors”• Incorporate departmental input at all levels• Develop infrastructure

(rapid prototyping, CAD, testing, shared resources, …)

• Expand to a full 1-year course?• Link with sponsors: internships, site visits…• Open to students outside CoE

(business, basic sciences, art & architecture)