Instructors
Y. Sungtaek Ju, PhD, Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UCLA, sungtaek.ju@ucla.edu
Mitchell Spearrin, PhD, Associate Professor of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, UCLA, spearrin@ucla.edu
Coursework Prerequisites
- Physics or equivalent 9th or 10th grade-level integrated science course.
- AP Calculus AB or equivalent.
- Experience in coding with any text-based programming language (C/C++, Python, JS, Java, Swift, Julia, …) is highly recommended.
Computer Requirements
Students need a laptop (Windows or Mac) with at least 4 GB memory and 10 GB of free disk space where they can install apps. Please contact the COSMOS staff if a suitable one is not available for you to bring to the camp. If you have a relatively new laptop with only USB-C ports, you will also need a USB-A to USB-C adapter (dongle) to connect to an Arduino board.
Course Description
In this cluster, the students will explore mechanical and aerospace engineering by using mechatronics as integral learning tools. Mechatronics, which is a combination of mechanics and electronics, is everywhere, from toasters to sophisticated robots. Fueled in part by continual advances in computing software and hardware, mechatronic devices make our lives more convenient, safer, and more efficient. Mechatronic devices are also essential in performing modern engineering experiments necessary to develop, test, and validate engineering models and designs.
Sensing and Actuation: Two of the foundational operations of every mechatronic device are sensing and actuation. This part of the cluster will focus on the basics of electronics and coding, with a particular emphasis on interfacing micro-controllers with various sensors and actuators, and involves a series of hands-on mini projects. We start by teaching the basics of electrical circuits, sensors/actuators, PID control, and micro-controllers, and then moves to programming to build various systems (from multi-tasking LED blinkers to self-balancing mini robot cars). The students will work with their teammates to refine, extend, and apply the acquired skills. Along the way, the students will also learn to design engineering experiments, acquire physical data using micro-controllers and sensors, and interpret the data using fundamental engineering principles and statistical analysis methods.
Rockets: In this part of the cluster, the students will learn the fundamentals of rockets through lectures and hands-on experiments. We will discuss the fundamentals of rocket propulsion, kinematics, and fluid mechanics. The students will next use micro-controllers to determine the local gravitational acceleration constant and to measure the thrust profile of model rocket engines (with smokes and sparks!). And finally, we will design, build, and test rockets, comparing the apogees of the rockets of different designs with theoretical predictions.