Freshman Experience
STUDENT QUOTE
"I thoroughly enjoyed the course. This course gave us a real-life experience. We did not just learn about or watch engineers at work - we were engineers at work!"
Line-following robot car project
Amazing what you can do in one year...
Our first-year engineering course we call Engineering Principles is an innovative projects-based, hands-on experience centered around the essence of engineering. You will develop depth of expertise in valuable skills used by engineers. You then gain practical design experience by applying those skills in completing several significant projects.
The skills you learn:
- Machining and prototyping
- Electronics assembly and testing
- Engineering graphics, 3D modeling
- Computer programming
- Engineering analysis and design methods
- Project management
- Effective teamwork
- Professional presentations
- Spreadsheet applications
- Computer simulation
The projects you build:
- Oscillating Air Engine, a.k.a. "The Wobbler": design and fabricate your own one- or two-cylinder engine. Watch Video | R&D: compressed-air cars
- Reverse Engineering: deconstruct, analyze, and redesign an existing product for improved performance. [definition]
- Mobile Robot: program an autonomously controlled robot to work its way through a maze in the Robot Challenge. Watch Video | All-terrain robots
End result:
- A solid foundation for the engineering knowledge that you acquire over the next three years … and beyond.
