Sensors, actuators, and computer interfacing laboratory course at the University of California at Santa Barbara

The Department of Mechanical and Environmental Engineering at the University of California at Santa Barbara has developed a required laboratory course on Sensors, Actuators, and Computer Interfacing, which is specifically designed to equip undergraduates with basic mechatronics skills. Unlike typical mechatronics courses that have a small, specialized enrollment, this course has been designed to accommodate a larger, more general enrollment, typically numbering 100 students. In this paper, we provide an outline for any institution that is interested in offering an introductory mechatronics laboratory course as part of its required undergraduate curriculum.