Introduction to Engineering - Fall 2012
All College of Engineering students must earn 4.0 credits of Introduction to Engineering. The Introduction to Engineering course is scheduled for completion in the freshman year and is intended to provide an introduction to engineering analysis and/or design. The requirement may be fulfilled through two paths:
I. One full semester course
ENG EK 130 is a full-semester course (4.0 credits). Completing this course fulfills the Introduction to Engineering requirement.
II. Two half semester courses
Two half semester courses:
ENG EK 131 and ENG EK 132 are 2.0 credit half-semester courses. ENG EK 131 meets during the first six weeks of the semester. ENG EK 132 meets during the second six weeks of the semester. Together, ENG EK 131 and ENG EK 132 fulfill the Introduction to Engineering requirement.
Important dates:
EK 131 begins on September 4 and ends on October 18
The last day to add an EK 131 module is September 12
The last day to drop EK 131, without a W is September 18
The last day to drop EK 131, with a W is October 3
EK 132 begins on October 22 and ends on December 6
The last day to add an EK 132 module is October 30
The last day to drop EK 132, without a W is November 5
The last day to drop EK 131, with a W is November 21
ENG EK 131/132 COURSE DESCRIPTIONS and SCHEDULE
ENG EK 130 A1: Introduction to Materials Processing/Product Development
| Professor Vinod Sarin | TR | 10-12pm | Enroll Limit: 20 | Location: TBA |
Capitalism and enterprise are about innovation - creating a dynamic economy that is ultimately dependent on the ability to fabricate and produce products. Product development therefore plays an important role in creating new businesses that fuel progress on a global basis. In this course, each student will use sophisticated computer-aided design tools to create 3-D object codes and then design and develop a specific product. The scientific base and fundamental nature of material processes used in this project will be developed in lectures and their pragmatic application will be demonstrated and taught in the laboratory. Based on this knowledge and experience each student will fabricate a prototype of the product they have designed and developed and try and market it (to the class) to appraise its commercialization potential. 4.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 B1: Biomedical Engineering Environments
| Professor Andy Jackson | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 15 | Location: TBA |
Biomedical engineers perform a wide variety of functions in a wide variety of environments including laboratories or clinics in hospitals, product (hardware or software) design and development in private industry, biotech/pharmaceutical research and development. The module will provide an introduction to some of these functions and environments through lectures as well as tours. The scientific basis of instrumentation, equipment, and processes will be presented in lectures and in on-campus and off-campus tours. For example, tours may include facilities for magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), computer tomography (CT) imaging, high through-put protein analysis, gene expression, pulmonary function diagnostics, and open-core MRI supported surgery. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 B4: Human Brain Mapping
| Professor Lucia Vaina | TR | 2-4pm | Enroll Limit: 20 | Location: TBA |
The focus of this course is on the localization in the human brain of visual, motor and language functions and of their deficits resulting from stroke, schizophrenia, autism, and epilepsy. This will be accomplished by using theories and examples from human neuroanatomy, neurophysiology, neurology cases and behavioral studies. The major emphasis of the class will be on structural and functional magnetic imaging as it applies to contemporary studies of human neuroanatomy, neurology, psychiatry and of normal behavior. We will briefly discuss the principles of MRI/fMRI, structural brain imaging in health and disease, bold physiology and haemodynamics, fMRi experiments and spatio-temporal characteristics. We will emphasize the ethical aspects of the research and clinical applications of functional neuroimaging and of other modern methods of functional brain mapping (MEG, presurgical planning), the difference between these methods and their specific advantages for various aspects of clinical practice. The course consists of lectures, class discussions, writing a scientific essay on applications of functional neuroimaging, and presentations of scientific articles on the use of fMRI for clinical applications. There will be a take home ethics exam. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 B8: Auditory System/Hearing Prosthetics
| Professor Herb Voigt | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 25 | Location: TBA |
In this module we will explore the anatomy and physiology of the auditory system and discuss the design and success of auditory prostheses such as the hearing aid, the cochlear implant, and the cochlear nucleus implant. We will also discuss the deaf community's response to engineering's proposed solution to their "problem." 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 BC: Technology-Based Brain Extension and Mind Reading
| Professor Lucia Vaina | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 16 | Location: TBA |
The course will present examples of cutting edge science and technology applied to brain extension and mind reading, their health related implications and ethical concerns for medical practice and for the potential uses to implement mind control. "Brain extension", involves scientific and neurotechnology approaches aimed to turning thought into action. We will discuss how signals in the brain's planning circuits may be used to drive neural prostheses, and how these approaches may be used to restore mobility and independence in people with neurological disease or limb loss. The second part of the course will explore technologies that may allow "mind reading", from the polygraph to thermal imagine, to electroencephalogram (EEG) and fMRI when used to read people's emotions and thoughts. We will examine the ethical and moral issues of using these technologies. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 EA: Photonics - Engineering with light
| Professor: TBA | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 20 | Location: TBA |
Curious about photonics? This module offers a brief introduction to the physical principles of light and how light is used in many different engineering applications- from familiar consumer products, optical communication to novel bio-sensing methods. Lectures will be supplemented with visits to Photonics Center facilities and laboratories, and by hands-on projects where you will design and build a photonics device. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 EB: The Electric Guitar as a Gateway to Electro-acoustics
| Professor Robert Kotiuga | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 25 | Location: TBA |
The electric guitar evolves concurrently with the electrical reproduction of recorded music. This hands-on course uses the electric guitar as a gateway to musical acoustics and electro-acoustics. Before considering how electronics and amplifiers have become an integral “part of the instrument”, we review the basics of hearing, musical scales, resonance and the fundamentals of fretted string instruments. By examining the notions of distortion, compression, and feedback, an understanding is developed, of how the rock guitarist’s effects and multi-track recording are antithetical to the audiophile’s quest. This also provides a means of distinguishing “hi fi” from various notions of “good sound”. The course will be supported by field trips, demos and labs. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 EG: Electronic Control of Robots
| Professor Ajay Joshi | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 25 | Location: TBA |
The focus of this module is to expose students to electrical devices, circuit design, digital logic design and programming of embedded computer systems. Using robotics as an underlying theme, students will get hands-on experience working on lab assignments designed around each of these areas of Electrical and Computer Engineering. By the end of the semester, students will have first-hand experience in designing and programming a robot to solve a class application challenge. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/132 MB: Bio-Aerial Locomotion
| Professor Lorena Barba | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 20 | Location: TBA |
Human-designed flying devices are just over 100 years old, which is not very much in historical terms, and much less in evolutionary terms. In nature, flight has evolved quite efficiently, and at least four times (insects, pterosaurs, birds and bats). Moreover, many biological organisms maneuver in the air effectively, without flying, per se. In this course, we will discuss a selection of interesting cases of bio-aerial locomotion of increasing sophistication: from falling and parachuting, to gliding and flying. When falling, geckos are able to right themselves turning their body in mid-air, and always land safely on their feet. Some species of snakes can glide to the ground while slithering their body to adjust their shape; and samaras (winged seeds like the maple seed) slow their descent as they spin, so the wind will take them farther aiding dispersal of the tree species. Many birds can boost their glide by efficiently exploiting thermal currents in the air, and small birds and insects can hover in the air via flapping flight. All these examples, among others, are inspiring engineers today to design new devices such as micro-air vehicles and robots that perform impressive feats. In this course, you will get a glimpse of the modern activity of bio-inspired engineering, in particular in its relation to the fields of aeronautics and robotics. 2.0 credits
ENG EK 131/123 MC: Introduction to Wind Energy
| Professor Sheryl Grace | MW | 3-5pm | Enroll Limit: 20 | Location: TBA |
Modern wind turbines have begun to play an important role in the production of electricity. This course provides an overview of wind turbine technology and energy concepts. The question of whether wind technology (or any other renewable source) can impact the energy crisis will be debated. The course gives an overview of fluid dynamic, thermodynamic, and rotor dynamic concepts as they apply to wind technologies. The importance of function and form and the entangling of politics, human nature, and technology will be explored. Students will measure personal energy use and analyze wind turbine data from the Museum of Science’s wind turbine lab. 2.0 credits
ENG E K131/132 M1: Mechanical Design for Manufacture
| Professor Ted de Winter | TR | 2-4pm | Enroll Limit: 30 | Location: TBA |
Engineering design requires that thorough analysis precede detailed drawings and the manufacture of prototypes and products. This module serves as an introduction to stress analysis, micro and macro behavior of engineering materials and basic mechanics. Topics covered include analyses of stress and strain, transmission of power, torque, friction, and efficiency. An introduction to Computer Aided Design will include an assignment on SolidWorks, which is state-of-the-art software used in industry. A simple design project is included in the module. 2.0 credits