Advanced Mechatronic Reactive Spaces.

Catalog description

This course combines performance art and advanced mechatronics concepts that include the design and implementation of large-scale actuation, advanced sensing, actuation and control. This course pairs design school and engineering students to form interdisciplinary teams that together design and build electro-mechanical reactive spaces and scenic/architectural elements in the context of the performing arts. The two disciplinary groups will be treated separately and receive credit for different courses (ARCH746 will be taught concurrently and in some cases co-located) as they will be learning different things. Engineering students gain design sensibilities and advanced mechatronics in the form of networked embedded processing and protocols for large scale actuation and sensing. Design students learn elementary mechatronics and design reactive architectures and work with engineering students to build them. The class will culminate in a some artistic performance (typically with professional artists) such as a Shakespeare play, robotic ballet, a mechatronic opera.