Proceeding of the 7th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA10), Sharjah, UAE, April 20-22, 2010

MECHATRONIC SYSTEM DESIGN: THE IDEAL CAPSTONE COURSE?

Lutfi Al-Sharif*, Ashraf Saleem**, Tarek A. Tutunji**

l.sharif@ju.edu.jo, asaleem@philadelphia.edu.jo, ttutunji@philadelphia.edu.jo

*Department of Mechatronics Engineering, University of Jordan, Jordan
**Department of Mechatronics Engineering, Philadelphia University, Jordan

ABSTRACT design course is a capstone course in which the student combines

A major focus of mechatronic engineering education is on the
design and analysis of integrated engineering systems. Therefore,
it is importance to develop a well-structured mechatronic system
design course for undergraduate engineering students. This
course can be considered as a capstone course that integrates vast
amount of knowledge and skills acquired by students throughout
their education. This paper presents an overview of a mechatronic
design course contents. It also provides the appropriate method of
delivering the needed material through case studies and
examples..
1. INTRODUCTION
Most engineering universities offer engineering design courses
within their curricula. Technology advancement and human needs
have led to the integration among many engineering disciplines
[1]. Therefore, preparing engineering students for an integrated
design system approach is a critical goal.
Mechatronics engineering offers the perfect platform for such a
design approach since it is an integrated discipline itself. Many
researchers have published their experiences in teaching
mechatronics courses.
all the knowledge and skills that he/she has acquired and learnt in
the early years into one course. The new material taught in the
course heavily relies on all the previous material studied by the
student in earlier courses.
This paper outlines the approach taken within such a capstone in
delivering the material and ensuring the objectives are achieved.
The main difference between this capstone course and the
conventional capstone courses is the fact this course contains
theoretical supporting material that is delivered at the start of the
course to fill the gaps in the student’s knowledge, prior to
embarking on the project.
Capstone courses find applications in many areas of engineering,
such as engineering applications in biology and medicine [6,] and
electrical and computer engineering [7] as well as
electromagnetic. Ideally, the capstone project should relate to
real life as much as possible. In this paper, special emphasis is
placed on the use of real life components and systems through the
use of datasheet. Some authors propose the use of real customers
[8], while others are using exciting futuristic applications, such as
the design of a lunar base as the subject of the project [9]. Some
have studied the effect of prior industry experience on the success
of capstone projects [10].

In [2], a graduate design course was described. The course was
worked in a design lab experiments that led to a product. Details
for an undergraduate course was provided in [3] where authors
presented, evaluated, and discussed the guidelines for a successful
mechatronics project class. In [4], authors showed that the
inclusion of design competition within mechatronics education
provides motivation and creativity.
In [5], researchers described an undergraduate program that offers
two core classes: Mechatronics and Mechatronic System Design.
The authors argue that an essential characteristic of a
mechatronics engineer is the balance between the
modeling/analysis skills and the hardware implementation skills.
One of the most important courses invariably taught in
undergraduate mechatronics engineering programs is the
mechatronic system design course. The mechatronic system
2. SYSTEM OVERVIEW
At the start of the course, it is important to familiarize the student
with a general overview of a mechatronic system as a motion
control system. A general overview of the components of a
motion control system is given to the student. For each
component of the system the student would either have gained
prerequisite knowledge in the prerequisite material or is expected
to complete the gaps in the theoretical material that he/she studies
in this course prior to embarking on the project. This has a
beneficial effect of making the student appreciate the prerequisite
courses that he/she has studied and how they fit into the grand
scheme of things.
Components of a motion control system:

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 Proceeding of the 7th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA10), Sharjah, UAE, April 20-22, 2010

1. Power supply. of rotational inertia, torque and rotational acceleration and the use
2. Drive (variable speed drive). of flywheels in drive systems.
3. Actuator.
4. Mechanical interface to the load (e.g., gearing, screw, Simulation and Modeling: The student should have the skill
sheave, sprocket, belt, chain, rope.). necessary to write the differential equations for a physical system
5. Logic controller. and then arrive at the transfer function for it. The system should
6. Speed controller. at least cover the first three types of the following five systems:
7. Measurement systems and transducers.
8. Load: This is important part of the system that is a. Mechanical translational.
usually neglected within traditional courses. b. Mechanical rotational.
c. Electrical.
A general overview of a typical motion control system is d. Fluidic (hydraulic/pneumatic).
shown in Figure 1. e. Thermal.

Instrumentation, Measurement and Transducers: The student

should be familiar with the basic principles of measuring a
variable, the types of errors encountered in the process, how to
overcome errors and quantify them, the measurements of the most
common electrical variables and the measurement of physical
variables (level, temperature, flow, pressure, stress, strain, force,
torque, rotary and linear displacement and position.

Control Systems Engineering: The student should be familiar

with the basics of control theory, system stability and control
system design.

Actuators: The student should be familiar with the principles of

rotary actuators, such as the induction motor, the dc motor and the
stepper motor. It is unlikely that students have had any exposure
to linear actuators, and this will have to be covered within this
MSD course.

Embedded Systems: The students should be versatile and

confident with the use and programming of microcontrollers in
controlling real life systems.
Figure 1 Components of a typical motion control system.

3. PREREQUISITES 4. MATERIAL WITHIN THE COURSE

The course content and assessment is mainly based on two parts:

As this course is a capstone course, its real benefit is derived from
theoretical part that fills in important gaps that the student has not
the fact the students combine all the skills and knowledge that covered in the prerequisites and a project that allows the student to
they have acquired in earlier into one course and internal project. apply the knowledge and skills acquired.
The students are usually expected to have covered the following
items prior to embarking on this course: The specific area of control system design for real life
mechatronic systems has been the subject of another study of
capstone courses [10]. In contrast, this paper looks at the design
Electrical Circuits and Electronics: A good grounding in
of the complete system.
electrical circuits and electronics. Of special importance are the
skill of using op-amps for signal processing, and the use of
transistors for switching.

Mechanics (kinematics and dynamics): The student is expected to 4.1 Theoretical content
be familiar with the basics of translational and rotational
kinematics. The student should also be familiar with the concepts

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 Proceeding of the 7th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA10), Sharjah, UAE, April 20-22, 2010
The theoretical content should be selected in order to fill in any
gaps that are present in the student knowledge and skills. Their
ultimate aim is to prepare the student to undertake the main
project. This theoretical knowledge falls into the following nine
areas:
1. Engineering principles and the system approach: This
is probably the first instance that the student is introduced
to the systems approach in engineering design. He/she also
learns the importance of system integration: understanding
the interaction between all the subsystems with the large
systems and ensuring their compatibility. The student is
also introduced to a general set of engineering principles
that help him/her through his/her engineering career.
2. Review of mechanics and basics principles of drive
systems: The student reviews the basic kinematic and
dynamic basics and their relevance to mechatronic systems.
He/she should become familiar with the concept of stability
as applied to drives and loads.
3. Interfacing and switching: An important skill that student
should master within the area of mechatronic system design
is the skill of interfacing the controller to the real life
system (e.g., the load). Students usually take the function of
interfacing for granted without understanding its criticality
and importance. Within this course, students learn the
importance of the concept of switching (whether
electromechanical or electronic) and the importance of
paying attention to voltage ratings and current ratings in
switches
4. Transducer selection: This aspect is not usually covered
in a classical measurement and instrumentation course.
Students are given a brief review of the usage of sensors to
measure physical variables such as temperature, pressure,
force, speed, and flow. Moreover, students should
understand the differences among sensors within the same
category in order to appreciate relative strengths and
weaknesses for each sensor type. Students should also
comprehend the sensor characteristics such as sensor range,
sensitivity, accuracy, precision, linearity, resolution, and
frequency response. After reviewing these topics, students
should have gained enough understanding in the selection
of the appropriate sensors to be used.
5. Actuator selection: This aspect is also not normally
covered in a typical electrical machines course. So the
students are reminded of the large range of actuators that
are used in practice, whether rotary or linear and whether
electrical, electromagnetic, pneumatic or hydraulic. This
course however, only covers the rotary electric actuators in
detail, leaving the linear electric actuators to exercises and
case studies. The student must also understand the concept
of the speed torque curve for both the load and the
drive/motor assembly. The two curves have to be matched
and the stable operating point is the intersection of the two
curves. He/she also must understand the condition for the
stability of the intersection point. Three examples are given
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to allow the student to gain experience in selecting motors
for three mechatronic systems.
6. Controller physical implementation selection: The
design of mechatronic systems involves the choice of the
controller. This is arguably the most critical decision in the
design process. A vast variety of controllers are available in
the market. The four main controller groups that are
explained to students are: (1) programmable logic
controllers (PLC), (2) microcontrollers, (3) digital signal
processors (DSP); and (4) computers.
7. Controller algorithm selection: Another critical decision
that the designer must make is the type of control algorithm
to use. Therefore, students are introduced to different
control algorithms and how to select the appropriate one for
certain application.
8. Mechatronic system design procedure: Knowledge of
sensors, actuators, controllers, and interfacing prepares
students for the design of mechatronic systems. Therefore,
students should comprehend the procedure of mechatronic
system design starting from analysis of customer
requirements and ending with simulation of the anticipated
system. The following is a summary of the mechatronic
system design procedure and stages that are covered in this
course.
a. Stage 1: User and System Requirements Analysis:
Typically, the Mechatronic system design lifecycle
starts with the user requirement analysis stage in order
to acquire the system’s specifications and
requirements.
b. Stage 2: Conceptual Design: A conceptual design
embodies the structure of the system, as perceived by
the user. This structure is a formulation of the
conceptual ideas to meet the requirement
specifications which are the results from the previous
phase. The input and goals of the conceptual design
process form the requirement specifications to be met.
It is always more expensive to improve a bad
conceptual design than a bad detailed design,
therefore this process is crucial and essential.
c. Stage 3: Mechanical, software, electronics, and
interface design: The mechanical design is crucial
since it forms the skeleton of mechatronic systems.
The design can be supported by Computer Aided
Design (CAD) tools which are widely available in
industry. During the mechanical design process,
control system should be evaluated and designed
synergistically with the mechanical design. If optimal
mechanical design is achieved, the designer should
move to select the actuators and sensors that can meet
the demand specifications. This should then followed
by selecting the drive and conditioning circuits in
order to interface the system components.
 Proceeding of the 7th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA10), Sharjah, UAE, April 20-22, 2010
d. Stage 4: System Modeling and Simulation:
Mechanical, electrical and electronic components
should be included in a mixed system model of the
plant. Initially, such a model should be fairly simple.
A linear time-invariant model with one input and one
output is often adequate at the initial modeling stage,
even for relatively complex mechatronic systems.
Once a plant model is available, simulation is used to
decide on the design specifications of the mechatronic
system based on the specification of requirements.
e. Stage 5: Prototyping and testing: Once the model is
verified by simulation, the physical system prototype
should be assembled and tested in the lab. If the
prototype does not satisfy the design specifications, at
this stage the designer should check to see whether
some modifications to the plant could yield the
required results.
9. Case study: a detailed case study is covered with the
student on the design of a system, in which the design
procedure studied above is applied. An example from a
robot or an elevator can be used.ch shows that the
controller was able to follow the desired profile.
4.2 Capstone Project
As part of this course, students are given the task of designing
mechatronic systems. They are expected to work on a project in
groups of three to four students. A number of suggested projects
are offered to the students to select from. Each group writes
comprehensive technical report and makes a presentation. The
presentation usually lasts for 10 minutes and is followed by a 5
minute question and answer session. The advantages of such a
project are numerous:
1. Reinforce the engineering principles studied at the start of
the course.
2. Learn to work in groups as a team..
3. Apply a systematic engineering approach to the design.
4. Learn how to write a technical report.
5. Gain skills in technical presentations.
Examples of mechatronic systems offered to student as the basis
of case studies for the project include:
1. Elevator speed controller.
2. Robotic manipulator arm.
3. Unmanned vehicle.
4. CNC machine.
5. ABS braking system.
6. Airport passenger boarding bridges.
7. Heat seeking missile.
8. Satellite dish position controller.
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In addition to applying the system design procedure studied in the
theoretical part, the students are required to select real
components from actual manufacturers’ datasheets.
5. CONCLUSIONS
The mechatronic system design course is one of the most
important courses studied by mechatronics undergraduate
students. It acts as a capstone course that integrates all the
knowledge and skills that the student has acquired in the early
years, and in many cases prepares him/her for the final year
graduation project.
This paper has presented an overview of the contents of such a
course and the appropriate method of delivery by the use of case
studies and examples. It is argued that such a design course
requires a high level of integration between the various topics and
skills and thus requires a special approach in its content and
delivery. It should also encourage the student to use real life
examples in to allow him/her to address and solve real life
problems.
Prior to discussing the design process itself, selection criteria and
methodology for the main components are reviewed. The correct
selection procedures of the transducers, actuators, controllers, and
control algorithms for a mechatronic system are reviewed.
Moreover, a systemic approach to the design of a mechatronic
system is identified. The steps to be followed in such a design
process are detailed.
REFERENCES
[1] M. Tozimuka. “Mechatronics: from the 20th to 21st century”,
Control engineering practice, Vol 10, 877-886, 2002.
[2] M. A. Jarrah “Teaching Mechatronics Design Course for
Engineers” IEEE Workshop on Advanced Robotics and Its
Social Impacts, 2005.
[3] T. Tutunji, A. Saleem, and S. Abd Rabbo “An Undergraduate
Mechatronics Project Class at Philadelphia University,
Jordan: Methodology and Experience” IEEE Transactions on
Education, Vol. 52, No. 3 August 2009.
[4] W. Singhose, J. Vaughan, and R. Mayor “Use of Design
Competitions in Mechatronics Education” Proceedings of
2009 IEEE International Conference on Mechatronics,
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[5] K. Craig “Is Anything Really New in Mechatronics
Education?” IEEE Robotics & Automation Magazine, pp. 12-
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[6] Jay R. Goldberg, “Design verification in capstone design
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Magazine, Jan/Feb 2009.
[7] Kristen Gruenther, Reid Bailey, Jennifer Wilson, Charles
Plucker and Hiba Hashmi, “The influence of prior industry
experience and multidisciplinary teamwork on student design
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[8] Ville Isomottonen & Tommi Karkkainen, “The value of a
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 Proceeding of the 7th International Symposium on Mechatronics and its Applications (ISMA10), Sharjah, UAE, April 20-22, 2010

Software Engineering Education and Training, Proceedings,

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[9] Haym Benaroya; “Lunar base design: A paradigm for the
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