A mechatronics control engineering class at Beihang University, China: Practicing and exploring

Due to the synergistic nature of mechanical engineering, electronic control and systematical thinking [1], the mechatronics education is regarded as a complicated and more demanding course characterized by the need of highly integrated ability with theoretical knowledge and hands-on experiment to solve proposed problems, and thus has drawn great attention worldwide. As one of the typical and innovative teaching modes in mechatronics in China, mechatronics teaching in Beihang University has formed a “One main line, Two links, Three practical points” mode and methodology, which emphasizes on the links and mapping relationships between theoretical teaching and practical teaching. After 6-year practicing and exploring, the course has made fundamental and systematic innovation achievements in the field with respect to class materials, teaching mode, teaching system. Several typical mechatronics projects proposed and achieved by students have verified the effect and innovation of the project based teaching mode and methodology.