This course outlines key principles and advanced concepts vital for success in engineering design. Beginning with professionalism in the sciences, students learn essential skills like effective communication and teamwork. Subsequent units cover diverse topics including lab safety procedures and advanced computer-aided drawing techniques. Ethical considerations in robotics are explored alongside hands-on projects such as designing a functional robotic hand. Emphasizing collaboration, critical thinking, and practical application, this course equips students with the knowledge needed for a career in engineering.

Course Outline

Unit 1: Professionalism in the Sciences: Advanced Engineering Design

This unit will have students learn about appropriate professional behaviors including how to dress, speak and contribute to a collaborative team.

• To demonstrate knowledge of professional standards required by business and industry.
• To conduct oneself in a manner appropriate for the profession.
• To prioritize tasks using time management skills.
• To demonstrate written and oral communication in a clear, concise and effective manner.
• To facilitate collaboration among a group to achieve positive outcomes.

Unit 2: Lab Safety Procedures: Advanced Engineering Design

This unit will have students learn and demonstrate essential laboratory safety measures.

• To demonstrate safe laboratory procedures and techniques.
• To recommend appropriate storage, use and disposal of lab materials.
• To communicate laboratory safety procedures in compliance with local, state and federal regulations.

Unit 3: Engineering Project Management Skills

This unit describes the steps of engineering project management and how to build and utilize a project schedule. Students will implement project management skills to develop an engineering design.

• To create, implement and evaluate project management methodologies for a project.
• To develop a project schedule and complete projects according to established criteria.
• To organize and develop a plan for a project.

Unit 4: Team Problem Solving

This unit will have students learn how to work in teams to accomplish engineering designs.

• To understand and practice different roles in engineering teams.
• To complete a design in an engineering team.
• To use decision matrices to find solutions to problems.
• To use engineering notebooks to document the design process and guide the process of creating a design presentation.

Unit 5: Introduction to the Innovative Design Process

This unit will have students understand and apply the steps of the design process to solve a variant of real-world problems.

• To define the design process.
• To analyze different scenarios as it relates to the design process.
• To distinguish the steps of the design process.
• To investigate various ways in which career professionals use the design process.

Unit 6: Experimental Design: Engineering Design

This unit will have students evaluate experimental and engineering designs for strengths and weaknesses.

• To differentiate between types of investigative designs.
• To identify the evaluation parameters and evaluate an engineering design.
• To assess an experimental design to identify its strengths and weaknesses.

Unit 7: Principles of Computer-Aided Drawing

This unit will have students understand the importance of computer-aided design/drawing and how these programs are used in engineering.

• To describe the mechanics of 3D CAD and how to best utilize various tools.
• To utilize tools and features within a CAD program for an intuitive and efficient modeling process.
• To create part and assembly models and drawings.
• To identify the different types of technical drawings and how they are used in industry.

Unit 8: Advanced Computer-Aided Drawing

This unit will help students understand advanced computer-aided design and drawing techniques and how they are used to efficiently model complex designs.

• To use efficient CAD techniques to create complex models following industry best practices.
• To customize and configure a specific CAD program to make it the most useful for a given task.
• To create a full set of part and assembly drawings, animations and renders for a multipart design.
• To identify the different types of technical drawings and how they are used in industry.

Unit 9: Principles of Technical Drawing

This unit will help students understand the importance of technical drawings and how they are used.  

• To understand and interpret engineering drawings using orthographic projection.
• To differentiate between dimensions and tolerances and how they are used.
• To create drawings suitable for manufacturing.
• To identify the different types of technical drawings and how they are used in industry.

Unit 10: Advanced Control Systems

This unit will have students design control systems which will provide consentient process control and reliability.

• To select appropriate input and output devices based on the need of a technological system.
• To differentiate between open- and closed-loop systems to select the most appropriate system for a given technological problem.
• To create a block diagram flowchart for a technological problem.

Unit 11: Electromechanical Systems

This unit will have students understand applications and trends in electromechanical systems.

• To describe the application of electrical and mechanical systems.
• To identify career opportunities and trends in electrical and mechanical systems.
• To identify the inputs, processes and outputs associated with technological systems.
• To differentiate between open-loop and closed-loop systems.
• To analyze how technological systems interact to achieve common goals.

Unit 12: Physics in Construction

This unit will have students examine basic physics concepts relevant to the architecture and construction industry.

• To identify fundamental laws of physics.
• To explore types of forces.
• To explain basic concepts of static and dynamic loads.
• To discuss properties of building materials. 

Unit 13: Robotics Project Management

This unit will have students develop skills for managing a robotics project.

• To implement project management methodologies.
• To develop a project schedule and complete work according to established criteria.
• To participate in the organization and operation of an engineering project.
• To develop a plan for the production of a product.

Unit 14: Introduction to Robotic Arms

This unit will have students understand the fundamental principles, systems and subsystems of robot arms and how they are controlled.

• To identify the key components of a robotic arm system.
• To describe how gears, gear ratios, torque and linkages translate motion throughout the joints of a robot arm system.
• To apply knowledge of gears, linkages, sensors, feedback control loops and computers to control a robot arm system.
• To safely operate a robotic arm system.

Unit 15: Robot Arm Stability & Construction

This unit will have students understand the physical principles governing the stability of a robot arm and system.

• To analyze the stability of a robot arm system.
• To use stability calculations to analyze the design and construction of robot arm systems.
• To understand how engineers determine the stability of a robotic system for different applications.

Unit 16: Collaboration in Robotics Engineering

This unit will have students demonstrate the ability to appropriately cooperate, contribute and collaborate in various roles in team projects.

• To demonstrate the ability to cooperate, contribute and collaborate as a member of a group to achieve a positive, collective outcome.
• To explain the importance of teamwork in the field of robotics.
• To apply principles of effective conflict resolution and problem-solving.
• To demonstrate proper attitudes as a team leader and member.

Unit 17: Ethical Concerns in Robotics

This unit will have students consider and discuss ethical issues within the field of robotics.

• To debate ethical issues within robotics.

Unit 18: Career Challenge: Robo Grip

This unit will have students apply the engineering process to create a functional robotic hand.

• To define the basic concepts of robotics, including the role of robotic hands in various applications.
• To apply the engineering design process, including brainstorming, planning, building, testing, and iterating, to create a functional robotic hand.
• To analyze the performance of the robotic hand in grasping and manipulating different objects.

Unit 19: CTSOs: Enhancing the Student Experience

This unit will have students identify the purpose, goals and benefits of career and technical student organizations.

• To understand benefits and opportunities provided by Career and Technical Student Organizations (CTSOs).
• To analyze how CTSOs are an integral part of career preparation.
• To identify the purpose and goals of various CTSOs.