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Nick: As an engineer, anything is possible.
Engineers create, and they provide solutions to real-world problems.
At QUT, your engineering degree is all about the real world.
So now let’s hear what it’s like to study Mechatronic Engineering.
Amy: Hi, I’m Amy I study Mechatronic Engineering at QUT.
Mechatronics is the combination of mechanical, electronic, and software engineering and it
comes together to form robotics and manufacturing.
I chose to study Mechatronics because I really liked robotics and the whole systems-integration
thing, not just focussing on Mechanical or Electrical, being able to combine the two
which is what’s happening so much in industry now.
In first year they give you a wide variety of common units which everyone has to do,
it’s great to be able to work with the civil engineers and the electrical engineers and
mechanical engineers separately to really get that whole project feel.
There was one project in particular in ENB150 where we had to build a crane and it was really
great to work with everyone and sort of have a pretend project that we could work on all together.
Second year in Mechatronics you get to start building robots and the first one is a line-following robot.
They give you a set budget and you have it work together as a group.
You can either choose to focus on one bit, or focus on the whole thing, and bring the
whole system together and integrate it with everyone.
In third year, this was actually my favourite year, you get to focus more on control and
look at more detailed parts of the robots and then do another project again later in
the year and bring it all together again as a group – and that’s to build a soccer
robot using an android phone which is quite exciting.
So in final year you get to combine all the things that you’ve learnt throughout your
first, your second and your third years into one big design project – this is called
a capstone project or your final year project.
Mine is based on the human machine interface to a solar car.
So I get to work on the steering wheel and an interface for the driver to be able to
get all the feedback from the car.
It’s cool to work on how we as a human integrate and work with robots.
So to graduate as an Engineer, Engineer’s Australia requires you to do a set amount
of time working in a company, this is called Work Integrated Learning.
For me I worked in an in-flight entertainment company working on automated testing systems
for different parts of the vehicle and also with an Engineering company on a tender.
It was really good to get my hands dirty in some real engineering and looked at all aspects
as well.
Some of it I got to work on design, and other bits I worked on the commercial side of the
project so I got a great amount of exposure to all of that to set me up for the real world.
One of my favourite things about QUT is all the other opportunities you get.
It’s great being able to be in such a great community where these all these other experiences
going on, and being able to collectively learn off each other’s experiences.
I’ve been a part of the motorsport team, a part of a solar car project; I’ve been
on exchange over to Canada, and also on a trip to Shanghai and Tokyo.
I got to go to the BMW design lab in Shanghai and then also across to Tokyo to see the big
car festival that they have there, as well as go to a Yamaha factory and see the production
of some of their bikes.
It’s a really great opportunity just to go overseas and see not just the engineering
stuff but also being able to get in there and view some of the culture too.