Mechatronic and Robotic Engineering BEng

Core modules:

Group Project and Engineering Skills

This module will help you develop the fundamental practical and professional skills that underpin electrical, electronic and mechatronic engineering. It will also help you develop the personal attributes essential in an engineer of any discipline. 

Five types of activities are used: —(1) lab-based activities to develop specific engineering skills and encourage the internalisation of theory;(2) an extended group project to develop an embedded system using the systems engineering approach. Students apply and develop technical and transferable skills simultaneously whilst working with partially open-ended problems; (3) address sustainability of the extended project using the UN's sustainable development goals; (4) programming skill lectures and laboratories to develop embedded programming abilities and support the extended project; and (5) a focussed, week-long, cross-faculty interdisciplinary design activity taken alongside students studying different engineering disciplines, addressing the ethical, social, economical and sustainability of solutions to engineering challenges of the 21st century. It will equip you with essential teamwork, design, problem-solving and communication skills. Particular attention will be paid to employability, sustainability, and inclusivity. Through real-life engineering projects, you will be introduced to tackling complex challenges.

The skills which you will develop include critical thinking, problem solving, adaptability in the face of unexpected challenges and professionalism. You will also develop the ability to use systems engineering approaches, to use specific pieces of hardware and software, to work effectively individually and in a group as an engineer, to approach challenges ethically and with a professional mindset, and to communicate effectively.

40 credits

Engineering system modelling and analysis

This module serves as an introduction to common system analysis tools and their application to simple mechatronic systems. 

You will study fundamental mathematics topics and be introduced to the first principles of modelling and system behaviour. You will focus predominantly on first-order linear systems. 

The tools you use in this module will be applied to a wide breadth of engineering applications.

20 credits

Analysis tools for mechatronics, computer engineering and AI

This module is an extension of system analysis tools for application to high order, non-linear and discrete mechatronic and AI systems.

You will continue your study of fundamental, but slightly more advanced, mathematics topics. We will show you how to generalise and extend first-principles modelling and system behaviours to a broader range of systems. 

We will also introduce you to computer tools used in electrical, mechatronic and computer engineering.

20 credits

Electric and Magnetic Circuits

This module provides a comprehensive foundation in the analysis of circuits and networks, essential for any aspiring electrical engineer. You will learn both direct current (DC) and alternating current (AC) circuits, equipping you with the tools and techniques necessary to understand and solve electrical circuits and networks.

You will learn to apply fundamental circuit theorems and analysis methods to determine voltage, current, and power in various circuit configurations. We will investigate the transient and steady-state responses of first and second-order circuits, both in the time and frequency domains, providing a deep understanding of circuit dynamics. 

The second half of the module will be dedicated to magnetic circuits, including the analysis of transformers, motors, and generators, crucial components in power systems and electromechanical devices. We will discuss the interaction between electrical circuits and magnetic circuits and introduce the idea of mutual coupling and transformers. Finally, you will gain insight into the structure and operation of electrical networks, providing context for the practical application of the principles learnt throughout the module.

20 credits

Analogue and Digital Electronics

This module provides a comprehensive introduction to the fundamental principles of both digital and analogue electronics, forming the foundations for further studies in electronic engineering. We will explore the building blocks of modern electronic systems, from the logic gates that underpin digital systems to the semiconductor devices that enable analogue signal processing.

In the digital domain, you will learn Boolean algebra, apply logic manipulation techniques, and design both combinational and sequential logic networks, understanding their application in practical logic circuits. Furthermore, you will be introduced to hardware description languages (HDLs) and learn to analyse and simulate digital components and structures.

Transitioning to analogue electronics, we will introduce semiconductor materials, exploring the behaviour of diodes and semiconductor transistors. You will learn to apply circuit analysis principles to predict the behaviour of semiconductor devices in circuits. You will gain an understanding on the use of the transistor as switches and develop your ability to design and analyse transistor-based circuits. Furthermore, we will introduce operational amplifiers (op-amps), exploring their versatile applications. The module will conclude with an overview of integrated circuit manufacturing, from semiconductor boules to packaged ICs.

20 credits

Global Engineering Challenge Week

The Faculty-wide Global Engineering Challenge Week is a compulsory part of the first-year programme. The project has been designed to develop student academic, transferable and employability skills as well as widen their horizons as global citizens. Working in multi-disciplinary groups of 5-6, for a full week, all students in the Faculty choose from a number of projects arranged under a range of themes including Water, Waste Management, Energy and Digital with scenarios set in an overseas location facing economic challenge. Some projects are based on the Engineers Without Borders Engineering for people design challenge*.

*The EWB challenge provides students with the opportunity to learn about design, teamwork and communication through real, inspiring, sustainable and cross-cultural development projects identified by EWB with its community-based partner organisations.

Control, communications and mathematics

You will be introduced to fundamental control and communication system analysis and design techniques alongside the mathematical tools required to support these and later year extensions.  Consideration is given to the different types of signals in engineering systems and how we represent and communicate the information within these.  There is a strong focus on system behaviour and methods—specifically feedback—that are used to ensure that systems behave in a desirable fashion; the module covers both classical and modern feedback methods as well as discretisation. Classic analogue and digital communication systems are developed, alongside the analysis and design techniques required.  Mathematical skills underpin all of engineering so this module covers the topics which will be most important for your later studies.

40 credits

Analogue devices and circuits

In this module you will study the underlying physics of semiconductor devices, understand how they are designed and how careful design of semiconductors results in useful circuit elements. You will cover many types of semiconductor devices such as transistors (bipolar, field effect), diodes, light-emitting diodes, lasers, photodetectors and solar cells. We will also introduce you to opto-electronics. This knowledge will enable you, in future years, to learn how to design semiconductor devices for a wide range of applications.

You will also study the use of semiconductor devices in circuits. Common circuit building blocks, such as voltage and power amplifiers, oscillators and digital logic are all implemented using different versions of the same semiconductor devices. You will learn how to analyse these circuits and design your own. You will also see how the design decisions made in silicon affect the function of a device in a circuit.

20 credits