This project is to expose senior-level undergraduates in electrical and mechanical engineering to recent research advances by focusing on a specific application. The application selected is the design and control of a walking robot. The main reasons for this choice are (i) the recent experience of some of the PI's (Azarm, Dayawansa, Tsai) in directing groups of senior undergraduates to design, build and test rudimentary walking robots (in the context of a course) and (ii) the almost endless possibility of incorporating advanced concepts and techniques (mechanisms synthesis, nonlinear control, speech recognition). The current course will be restructured. Main aspects will include: (i) incremental development of a long term (three-year cycle) project, with different focus each year; (ii) emphasis on application of research results obtained by the PI's and their research groups; (iii) creating an environment conducive to interdisciplinary research and education; (iv) active involvement of graduate students in transferring their research results to undergraduates and thus complementing more theoretical thesis work; (v) industrial and federal involvement; (vi) strong connection with the ECSEL program. This course will be cross-listed in Electrical Engineering and Mechanical Engineering.
