We invite participation in the 1st of several planned workshops on The Future of Mechatronics & Robotics Education (FoMRE). This inaugural workshop will be held Sunday, September 30, 2018, in conjunction with ASME’s Dynamic Systems and Control Conference DSCC 2018 in Atlanta, GA.

 The workshop 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 this workshop 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.

 This workshop will benefit a wide range of DSCC participants including educators teaching mechatronics, robotics, dynamics and control courses, Ph.D. students seeking academic careers in mechatronics and robotics, and industry professionals desiring to shape the future workforce.

 We anticipate limited funding for workshop participants.  Details will be announced when they become available.

 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

Important Dates:
Aug. 1, 2018           Applications for participant support due
Aug. 13, 2018        Participant support notification
Aug. 20, 2018        Early registration deadline https://www.asme.org/events/dscc/register
Sep. 30, 2018         Regular / on-site registration and workshop

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

 For additional information, please see the workshop website at https://www.asme.org/events/dscc/program/workshops or contact us at connect@mechatronicseducation.org.

 We look forward to seeing you at FoMRE @ DSCC 2018!