Mechatronic control engineering and electro-mechanical system design - two mechatronic curricula at Aalborg University based on problem oriented and project based learning.

Unlike most other engineering disciplines, mechatronics as an engineering discipline do not relate to one specic technical eld, but is instead a multidisciplinary engineering problem that not only require knowledge about dierent technical areas, but also insight into how to synergistically combine technologies optimally, to design e-cient products and systems. Mechatronic engineering is in this way about mastering a multitude of disciplines, technologies and their integration and interaction and should be taught as such.

This paper first considers how mechatronics is typically conceived and practised using a subsystem based approach. The challenges related to teaching and learning mechatronics are addressed, discussing how mechatronics is typically taught around the world also illustrating the trends and applications of mechatronic engineering and research. This is followed by an outline of the necessary skills a mechatronic engineer need to posses and a discussion of control engineering being a key element in mechatronics, where the well established methods from control engineering form very powerful techniques in both analysis and synthesis of mechatronic systems. With basis in this discussion, it is addressed how a mechatronic education is structured so courses and projects are aligned, to utilize the full benefits of the Problem Oriented Project Based Learning (POPBL) system practiced at AalborgUniversity (AAU). This is followed by a presentation of the two complementary educations in Mechatronicsat AAU, describing course outline and project content of the different semesters, where also the thoughts behind the organization of the curricula are addressed. Finally the paper summarizes with an overview of the experiences gained at AAU with teaching mechatronics in a Problem Oriented and Project Based Learning environment.