This course develops expertise in mechanical systems design, with an emphasis on applications in robotics. Students will perform a series of projects in which they design, fabricate, and test high-performance mechanical components and systems, individually and in small teams. Interactive lectures and topic readings on underlying technical approaches occur simultaneously to draw connections between theory, analytical methods, computational tools, practical knowledge, and intuition. Projects address design using electric motors, mass efficiency, and transmission efficiency, and some combination of torsion, stiffness, fatigue, friction, composites, mechanisms, dynamics, and generative design that varies by project and year. Projects are evaluated based on written reports, technical presentations, and objective performance of the system. Students should leave this course capable of designing high-performance mechanical systems in industry or research settings. Prerequisites: Courses covering Mechanics; Electricity and Magnetism; Statics; Dynamics; Mechanics of Materials; Rapid Prototyping; Manufacturing; and Mechanical Design. Preference given to graduate students.
4 units · Letter (ABCD/NP)
This course develops expertise in mechanical systems design, with an emphasis on applications in robotics. Students will perform a series of projects in which they design, fabricate, and test high-performance mechanical components and systems, individually and in small teams. Interactive lectures and topic readings on underlying technical approaches occur simultaneously to draw connections between theory, analytical methods, computational tools, practical knowledge, and intuition. Projects address design using electric motors, mass efficiency, and transmission efficiency, and some combination of torsion, stiffness, fatigue, friction, composites, mechanisms, dynamics, and generative design that varies by project and year. Projects are evaluated based on written reports, technical presentations, and objective performance of the system. Students should leave this course capable of designing high-performance mechanical systems in industry or research settings. Prerequisites: Courses covering Mechanics; Electricity and Magnetism; Statics; Dynamics; Mechanics of Materials; Rapid Prototyping; Manufacturing; and Mechanical Design. Preference given to graduate students.
Offered in Autumn 2026 at Stanford University.