Course summary

Switch on your career in mechatronic engineering at Manchester, a university with a prestigious engineering history - and a bright focus on the future. Mechatronics, the marriage of mechanical engineering with smart electronics, is vital to subjects including industrial automation and robotics. To interact with an object, a mechatronic system must know where the object is, be able to move the object and place it in the required new position. The electronics require information from sensors that can detect position, orientation, and visual or audio signals. The electrical inputs from the sensors have to be interpreted and the appropriate signals sent out to the actuators to perform the required operation. A good understanding of feedback control is also required to make changes in the system from one steady position to another, without oscillations or unpredictable movements. In this course you will learn the techniques necessary for the design and implementation of such intelligent mechatronic systems. In the final year you will also complete a team project directly funded by industry or inspired by industrial needs. Past projects have included developing an instrumented training wheelchair for para-athletes, creating a new core infrastructure for a robot orchestra, and developing a cyber-secure electricity management system in smart cities. Spending a year in industry will not only develop your business, team working and transferable skills - all highly sought-after by employers - it will also highlight the broad range of careers on offer to you and guide your choice of subject options. You'll place yourself in a great position to move your career forward.