Abstract:

Microelectromechanical devices (MEMS) became an important element of engineering education due to their increasingly widespread adoption and use in a variety of applications. MEMS devices and sensors offer a unique interdisciplinary learning opportunity to students since they integrate knowledge from various engineering disciplines including mechanical, electrical, computer engineering, and material science. While engineering majors at U.S. universities focus on design aspects of systems and devices, the engineering technology programs stress development of students’ skills needed for implementation of the system designs, operation, and more importantly the system integration in industrial settings. Electro-Mechanical Engineering Technology program (EMET) at Penn State University offers coverage of the MEMS emerging technology in one of the junior level courses: EMET 330 Measurement Theory and Instrumentation. While the EMET 330 course familiarizes students with the measurement and instrumentation systems typically used in automated manufacturing and automated process industries, one of the course components is dedicated to the MEMS technology. The MEMS course component gives students practical interdisciplinary experience and industry relevance with various MEMS sensors such as accelerometer, touch sensor, and strain-pressure sensor in system design. The MEMS devices and sensors in course laboratory assignments are incorporated in microprocessor-based systems with Arduino microprocessors. The class also provides research opportunities for students to investigate the newest technologies in course research-oriented presentations.

Keywords:

Technology, engineering, education.