Mechanical Engineering

The course is the first of two fluid mechanics courses that are taught concurrently in a single semester. Students take Fluid Mechanics I and then either Fluid Mechanics II (Technique and Examples) or II (Higher Flow Level). This course discusses the fundamental concepts of fluid mechanics including hydrostatic and kinematic behavior of fluids, differential and integral laws of conservation, laminar and turbulent flow, and the theory behind fluid dynamics. The course consists of two hour lectures which review the course concepts, and two hour seminars in which students solve problems.

This course provides a method for solving physical problems that are described by partial differential equations. The course project gives students an experience and theoretical understanding in solving comprehensive physical problems using the finite element method.  The course content includes: strong and weak formulation of differential equations; approximating functions; Galerkin’s method; finite element formulation of heat conduction; finite element formulation of deformable bodies; finite element formulation of bending; and isoparametric elements and numerical integration.

This course provides students with an understanding of the tools and techniques required to interface between mechanical components and the wider world, involving sensing, actuation (e.g. motors) modelling and control.

The course is concerned with gathering, critically analyzing, and presenting a coherent body of information on an engineering-related topic. The group is allocated a theme and each member of the group is assigned a topic relevant to the theme. The students, operating as a group, are required to research the theme, developing a body of interrelated knowledge and an understanding of their topics. This is accomplished primarily through investigation of the published literature, and by making contact with industry and other organizations. The objective is to collect, distil, analyze and present in a logical fashion, a summary of the information collected.

Students discuss key aspects of the ethical debates around robotics and artificial intelligence, focusing on the healthcare and medical sectors. The seminar includes an introduction to interdisciplinary methods of responsible technology design. Students work in interdisciplinary teams on proposals for responsible design, and they learn appropriate methods on the topics of scenario analysis, value assessment, and critical design thinking.