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Course Highlights

This course features the information, tools and resources necessary to carry out the student design project -- culminating in the mother of all robot contests. 2.007 has been replicated worldwide in engineering schools and on television. According to Prof. Slocum, the contest is a final exam, "two evenings of reality-meets-theory. This is when physics hits the road."

Course Description

This course develops students' competence and self-confidence as design engineers. Emphasis is on the creative design process bolstered by application of physical laws, and learning to complete projects on schedule and within budget. Synthesis, analysis, design robustness and manufacturability are emphasized. The subject relies on active learning via a major design-and-build project. Lecture topics include idea generation, estimation, concept selection, visual thinking and communication, kinematics of mechanisms, machine elements, design for manufacturing, basic electronics, and professional responsibilities and ethics. A required on-line evaluation is given at the beginning and the end of the course so students can assess their design knowledge.

The lecture notes and commentary for this course will be available in 2007 from Oxford University Press in a book called "Fundamentals of Design" by Alex Slocum. Below are selected lecture notes from previous years.

Topic 1: Design is a Passionate Process (PDF 1 of 3 - 1.5 MB) (PDF 2 of 3 - 1.6 MB) (PDF 3 of 3 - 2.2 MB)

Topic 2: Generating and Creating Ideas

Topic 3: Fundamental Principles (PDF - 1.4 MB)

Topic 4: Linkages (PDF - 1.5 MB)

Topic 5: Power Transmission Elements I (PDF - 3.0 MB)

Topic 6: Power Transmission Elements II (PDF 1 of 3) (PDF 2 of 3 - 1.5 MB) (PDF 3 of 3)