Robotics and Intelligent Systems Major

Overview

Mechatronic engineering involves the study of computer-controlled systems that form the basis of the 'intelligent' products that are ubiquitous in today's society. Our world is rapidly changing as robotics, automation and pervasive information and communication technologies become embedded within every facet of our social, environmental and economic spheres. These “intelligent” devices are becoming ubiquitous with an increasing reliance on machine-to-machine interaction and human-machine systems. Automated mobile devices are capturing large amounts of data and informing us about our world in greater spatial, spectral and temporal detail. Intelligent machines are appearing on our roads (robotic driving), in manufacturing (collaborative robots, or “cobots”, and factory automation), in primary industries (automation in mining, forestry, agriculture), in smart infrastructure (power, water, transportation networks), in schools and universities (intelligent systems for teaching and research), in our hospitals (surgical devices, remote diagnostics, rehabilitation systems), in scientific endeavour (marine, environmental and space robotics) and in our homes (robotic vacuum cleaners, the smart kitchen).

This major allows students to delve deeply in the fields of robotics and intelligent systems. By studying fundamental underpinning engineering science in the areas of control, mechatronic systems development, programming, digital systems and specialist electives in computer vision, robotics, machine learning, sensors and intelligent systems students will gain a deep insight into how these systems are built and operated and the impacts they are having within society at large.

This major is best aligned with the Mechatronic or Biomedical stream.