This workshop series is motivated by the tremendous, dynamic growth in Mechatronics and Robotics. To address the need for highly educated, multi-disciplinary professionals, many universities and colleges have introduced courses, minors, and degree programs.  However, these efforts lack cohesion. Now is the time to unify and standardize educational material to make MRE education more widely available and easier to adopt.

The objectives of these workshops are to bring together industry and academic professionals in Mechatronics and Robotics, share experiences, and initiate efforts towards defining the field.  We aim to encourage and facilitate the wide adoption of Mechatronics and Robotics degree programs. Workshop participants will learn about recent successes in offering these degrees, help influence the future of the field, and contribute to the growing Mechatronics and Robotics education community. The workshops will benefit a wide range of participants including educators teaching mechatronics and robotics courses, Ph.D. students seeking academic careers in mechatronics and robotics, and industry professionals desiring to shape the future workforce.

Workshop Organizers:
Mike Gennert, Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Vikram Kapila, New York University
Nima Lotfi, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
James Mynderse, Lawrence Technological University

Workshop topics include:

• Origins, goals, and mission of the Mechatronics & Robotics education community

• Mechatronic & Robotics education knowledge bases

• Project-based learning in Mechatronics & Robotics

• Advanced and open-source platforms for Mechatronics & Robotics

• Reducing barriers to adoption

• Accreditation

• Preparation to teach Mechatronics & Robotics

• Community-building

With the rapid growth in mechatronics and robotics engineering applications, the need for students with a strong multidisciplinary theoretical and experimental skillset is increasing. These students are the future engineers who will design, develop, and implement transformative autonomous technologies improving human health and welfare.

Recognizing the need for preparing highly-educated Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering (MRE) professionals, many universities and colleges are adopting MRE as a distinct degree program. However, there is not a well-defined and unified framework for such programs, which can cause confusion and ambiguity among instructors and future employers.

Capitalizing on the outcomes of several workshops on the Future of Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering Education, this workshop aims at

• Preparing current and future MRE educators to effectively design curricula and teach courses in this discipline;

• Familiarize MRE educators with the most recent technological and pedagogical advancements in the field of MRE education;

• Help unify and standardize MRE curricula and courses; and

• Generate enthusiasm and a sense of community among current and future MRE educators.

Workshop Agenda: 

• Introduction

• Session I:
  - Robotics Engineering Curricula (Dr. Michael Gennert)
  - Mechatronics Engineering Curricula (Dr. Vikram Kapila)

• Session II:
  - Introduction to Robotics: Course organization and objectives; Homework, Labs, and Projects (Dr. Vikram Kapila and Dr. James Mynderse)

• Summary and Future Directions
  

Workshop Speakers

• Dr. Michael A. Gennert, Worcester Polytechnic Institute

• Dr. Vikram Kapila, NYU Tandon School of Engineering

• Dr. Nima Lotfi, Southern Illinois University, Edwardsville

• Dr. Carlotta Berry, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology

• Dr. Kevin McFall, Kennesaw State University

• Dr. Musa Jouaneh, University of Rhode Island

Previous workshops:

FoMRE Workshop at Lawrence Technological University
September 27 - 28, 2019, Southfield, Michigan

The Future of Mechatronics & Robotics Education (FoMRE) workshop series was concluded by the 2-day event held at the Lawrence Technological University. The outcomes will contribute to shaping the future of mechatronics and robotics engineering education.

FoMRE Workshop at 2019 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition
June 16, 2019, Tampa, Florida

The 3rd Future of Mechatronics & Robotics Education (FoMRE) was held at the 2019 ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition in Tampa, Florida.

FoMRE Workshop at Robotics Summit & Expo 2019June 6, 2019, Boston, USA

The 2nd Future of Mechatronics & Robotics Education (FoMRE) was held in conjunction with the 2nd Robotics Summit & Expo in Boston, USA.

FoMRE WORKSHOP AT ASME DSCC 2018
September 30, 2018, Atlanta, GA

The inaugural workshop on mechatronics and robotics education, was held in conjunction with the ASME's Dynamic Systems and Control Conference (DSCC 2018). Watch the webinar summarizing the outcomes of the workshop.

Mechatronics Education Innovation Webinar Series

In our webinar series, we want to introduce the community to some of the well-established mechatronics programs, and discuss the challenges of institutions starting new mechatronics programs. We want to look at the ways to improve current mechatronics curricula considering the technological advancements in the past few decades, and share ideas for student projects.

Watch the latest webinar The Waterloo RoboHub: What is it, and why should you care? with Dr. Brandon DeHart from the University of Waterloo.

Upcoming webinars:

stay tuned for future webinars announcements