This interdisciplinary program prepares students to understand technologies encompassing sensors, actuators, microcontrollers, and signal conditioning hardware and relevant software. Students learn how to build working mechatronics systems. With the increasing needs to Industry 4.0 & beyond tools, including Internet of Things (IoT) implementations, robotic wide usage, and the establishment of smart cities, understanding mechatronics becomes a necessary skill of the future engineer. As Saudi Arabia is actively working on realizing the 2030 vision, adopting several AI based tools ranging from health care to hajj management, transforming many industries to be autonomously automated, and implementing an electronic government system, graduates equipped with the “sense-think-act” scheme of thinking are becoming vitally needed.
First Semester Course 1: COE 450 - Introduction to Smart Systems
Introduction to smart systems. Sensors and actuators: working principles, classifications, performance, characteristics, interfacing with feedback control, and data acquisition. Embedded systems: architecture, types, and interfacing. Real-time operating systems: components, requirements, configuration, and scheduling. Embedded software: development, software stack, hardware abstraction, and tools. Power management and energy harvesting for embedded systems.
Pre-requisities: EE 203 or EE 234 or EE 236
First Semester Course 2: EE 436 - Introduction to Micro and Nanoelectronics
Introduction to microfabrication techniques (photolithography, etching, deposition, thermal processes, etc.). Introduction to CMOS technology and its manufacturing from older to current technologies, including challenges and future developments. Introduction to Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS), Nanotechnology and Nanomaterials. Emerging technologies (Flexible/Stretchable electronics, Energy Micro- and Nano-harvesters).
Pre-requisities: EE 203 or EE 234 or EE 236
Second Semester Course 1: CIE 445 - Control of Mechatronic Systems
Introduction to control of mechatronic systems, modeling principles and characteristics of sensing elements in mechatronics, concepts and modeling of actuators in mechatronics, such as mechanical, electromechanical, electro[1]fluidic, etc., and signal conditioning circuits. Introduction to digital control, discrete-time and event-based systems, stability analysis in z-domain, digital control design, compensation; Case studies employing MATLAB and Simulink
Pre-requisities: Senior Standing
Second Semester Course 2: ME 455 - Mechatronics Design
Advanced mechatronic systems design, integration, and analysis methodologies. Theoretical and practical knowledge of diverse mechatronic elements and systems, including system integration, sensors, actuator design, and selection, use of signal conditioning techniques and components, and control. Reverse engineering, design for manufacturing, fast prototyping, and human-robotic/mechatronic interaction considerations. Design and implementation of a comprehensive mechatronic project.