"Mechatronics" is a strategy which involves integrating mechanical engineering, electronic engineering and computer science into the fundamental design process, rather than engineering each set of requirements separately. This project will conduct an intensive summer workshop and a follow-up conference to enhance the knowledge, skills and instructional capabilities of 40 undergraduate faculty members drawn from institutions throughout the USA to launch and lead interdisciplinary courses in "Mechatronics Education" at their institutions. The workshop will illustrate how mechatronics engineering concepts can be successfully introduced at the undergraduate level in an integrated way--from the design of complex products to final manufacturing. The program will be offered in the following three phases: A six-day Residential Workshop at CalPoly (Summer '95) involving hands-on projects and demonstrations on design and manufacturing of complex products and concurrent engineering, a two-day follow-up session at an industrial site (Summer '96) in which participants report on efforts to introduce new concepts at their home institutions. During a one year follow-through phase, the participants will utilize electronic mail and teleconference facilities to exchange ideas. The participants will be provided with ample opportunities to gain hands-on experience with several traditional and state-of-the-art manufacturing processes as well as concurrent engineering tools. Lecture notes, comprehensive multi-media course material demonstrating the equipment, software and the manufacturing processes used by the participants during the workshop in the design and fabrication of the complex products will be prepared and will be made available to the participants. The follow-up activities will be in the form of a conference that will be held at an industrial site, and industry participation will be provided through tours of plants in the San Francisco bay area. Conference proceedings in which the participants report on their accomplishments will be prepared as an outcome of the workshop. Several papers will be submitted for publication, and presentations will be made at national ASEE conferences.
