Course coordinator
Dr Tyson Phillips
Please email Dr Phillips to arrange an appointment.
Course overview
- Study period
- Semester 1, 2025 (24/02/2025 - 21/06/2025)
- Study level
- Undergraduate
- Location
- St Lucia
- Attendance mode
- In Person
- Units
- 2
- Administrative campus
- St Lucia
- Coordinating unit
- Mech & Mine Engineering School
Introduction to mechatronic engineering. Technical: mechatronic technology exemplars; mechanical & electrical drawing; small mechatronic product designed & tested for potential client. Organisational: project team must follow standard procedures - milestones, reporting, project meetings, interacting with client.
METR2800 teaches you the 'engineering method' byﾠengaging you in aﾠdesign-build-and-test exercise for a mechatronic system. Students are also exposed to methods for completing team based work effectively and within available resources. The substance of the course revolves about the design and implementation of a system to solve a problem. The most challenging aspects of this course typically come from the requirements to work effectively in a group, operate to fixed deadlines, and report regularly on progress.
Course requirements
Prerequisites
You'll need to complete the following courses before enrolling in this one:
ENGG1100, ENGG1300 & ENGG1700
Incompatible
You can't enrol in this course if you've already completed the following:
ELEC2800 or COMP2800 or ENGG2800
Course contact
Course staff
Lecturer
Timetable
The timetable for this course is available on the UQ Public Timetable.
Additional timetable information
There is no need to sign-on to groups before the beginning of semester.ﾠ We will assign groups in Week 1.
Aims and outcomes
The aim of this course is to develop your understanding of the so-called Engineering Method (EM) by engaging as a member of a team that designs, builds and tests a mechatronic system that solves a challenge task.
Learning outcomes
After successfully completing this course you should be able to:
LO1.
Plan a project - Develop a requirement set that defines a problem to be solved.
LO2.
Plan a project - Determine the knowledge, skills and capabilities needed to meet a requirement set and identify strategies to address gaps.
LO3.
Plan a project - Develop a work breakdown structure that plans delivery of a solution to a problem within the available resources
LO4.
Plan a project - Identify, assess and manage risks that arise in executing an engineering project.
LO5.
Plan a project - Define and clarify roles and responsibilities within a team.
LO6.
Synthesize a solution to a design problem - Research existing technology and solutions against identified requirements.
LO7.
Synthesize a solution to a design problem - Formulate a series of concept solutions that address a requirement set
LO8.
Synthesize a solution to a design problem - Formulate criteria to evaluate different candidate solutions against requirements.
LO9.
Synthesize a solution to a design problem - Identify a preferred candidate for implementation using evaluation criteria.
LO10.
Synthesize a solution to a design problem - Identify the mechanical, electrical, and software components/subsystems of a design and how these sub-components integrate.
LO11.
Synthesize a solution to a design problem - Evaluate the detailed design against the functional requirements.
LO12.
Build a mechatronic system from a design - Generate mechanical system drawings from a concept design.
LO13.
Build a mechatronic system from a design - Manufacture a mechatronic prototype from mechanical system drawings.
LO14.
Build a mechatronic system from a design - Demonstrate the desired functionality of a mechatronic prototype.
LO15.
Build a mechatronic system from a design - Verify the identified sub-components of a system meet their requirements
LO16.
Verify a design against stakeholder requirements - Demonstrate that your team's system meets functional requirements
LO17.
Verify a design against stakeholder requirements - Identify deficiencies in your design and critically reflect on how to remedy those deficiencies.
LO18.
Work within a team to deliver an outcome - Contribute to the development and maintenance of a project management plan
LO19.
Work within a team to deliver an outcome - Efficiently and equitably allocate available resources to deliver a work program on schedule and to budget
LO20.
Work within a team to deliver an outcome - Negotiate your personal responsibilities within a team and commit to delivering these.
Assessment
Assessment summary
| Category | Assessment task | Weight | Due date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Paper/ Report/ Annotation | Project Management Plan | 10% |
14/03/2025 4:00 pm |
| Presentation | Design Review Sequence | 40% |
27/03/2025 - 22/05/2025
Presentations will be scheduled. |
| Practical/ Demonstration | Demonstration against stakeholder requirements | 40% |
27/05/2025
Demonstrations will be held between 8:00am - 5:00pm. |
| Reflection | Project reflection | 10% |
29/05/2025 4:00 pm |
Assessment details
Project Management Plan
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Paper/ Report/ Annotation
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
14/03/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L18, L19, L20
Task description
You will develop a project plan to deliver a solution to the challenge task.
Your plan will be submitted at the end of Week 2. A template for a Project Management Plan will be available on Blackboard.
Please refer to Blackboard for a detailed marking criteria.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via TurnItIn on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
To facilitate timely feedback to students.
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Electronic Course Profile (ECP), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Design Review Sequence
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Presentation
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
27/03/2025 - 22/05/2025
Presentations will be scheduled.
- Learning outcomes
- L04, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10, L11, L12, L13, L14, L15, L16, L17, L18, L19, L20
Task description
This assessment sequence will involve project teams presenting their concept design, build progress, and demonstrating functional requirement verification to a panel of teaching staff. If, for whatever reason, you find that your group is not functioning effectively, please contact your Course Coordinator for support.
There are a total of four presentations with details as follows.
Design Review 1: System Design
Learning Outcomes: 6-11 and 18-20
When: Week 5
Weighting: 10%
In this assessment you will present your preferred candidate design to solve the challenge task and present the rationale for your decision. The methodology you will use to do this is as follows:
Research existing technology and solutions against the requirement set identified in your project management plan.
Formulate a series of concept solutions that meet the requirement set identified in your project plan adjusting these requirements as new information or thinking becomes available.
Formulate criteria to evaluate different candidate solutions against requirement.
Use the evaluation criteria to identify your preferred candidate solution.
You will present your preferred candidate solution in a presentation.
Your project management plan may change as a consequence of learnings made in this project. You should provide details on how your plan has been updated.
Design Review 2: System Build
Learning Outcomes: 12-13 and 18-20
When: Week 7
Weighting: 10%
You will present a mechanical build of your system that matches the detailed design.
Your system shall include sensing and actuating components but does not need to be in a functioning state,
Your project management plan may change as a consequence of learnings made in this project. You should provide details on how your plan has been updated.
Design Review 3: System Function
Learning Outcomes: 14-15 and 18-10
When: Week 9
Weighting: 10%
The individuals responsible for each sub-system will speak briefly to their sub-system and its integration into the overall system.
Each of the subsystems and the overall system should be evaluated for its ability to meet the appropriate functional requirements.
You will showcase the functional state of the as-built components of your system and provide detail on the overall build progress. You will provide an estimate of remaining work effort required to verify requirements in the third Design Review.
Your project management plan may change as a consequence of learnings made in this project. You should provide details on how your plan has been updated.
Design Review 4: System Verification
Learning Outcomes: 16-20
When: Week 12
Weighting: 10%
You will create a video that describes your 'as built system'. Identify any variations from your 'as designed system', demonstrate that the subsystems and the overall system meet the identified requirements as of Design Review 3. Reflect in the video any requirements that are not met. Provide a reflection of how the original plan changed over the semester.
Live Oral & Practical Assessment:
Any live oral or practical assessment item worth 20% or more must be recorded and retained as the official recording of the item for re-mark purposes. Procedural details for this are provided under Assessment.
Please refer to Blackboard for a detailed marking criteria.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Not a submissible item.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions are limited as they effect other members of the team.
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Electronic Course Profile (ECP), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
The nature of assessment does not allow for late submissions. Feedback is instantaneous.
Demonstration against stakeholder requirements
- Mode
- Activity/ Performance
- Category
- Practical/ Demonstration
- Weight
- 40%
- Due date
27/05/2025
Demonstrations will be held between 8:00am - 5:00pm.
- Learning outcomes
- L16, L17
Task description
You will demonstrate the performance of your system against the stakeholder requirements and reflect on improvements that you would make to your design or your teams execution of the project.
Live Oral & Practical Assessment:
Any live oral or practical assessment item worth 20% or more must be recorded and retained as the official recording of the item for re-mark purposes. Procedural details for this are provided under Assessment.
Please refer to Blackboard for a detailed marking criteria.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Not a submissible item.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
Extensions are limited as they effect other members of the team.
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Electronic Course Profile (ECP), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Late submission
You will receive a mark of 0 if this assessment is submitted late.
The nature of assessment does not allow for late submissions. Feedback is instantaneous.
Project reflection
- Mode
- Written
- Category
- Reflection
- Weight
- 10%
- Due date
29/05/2025 4:00 pm
- Learning outcomes
- L17, L18, L19, L20
Task description
You will provide a brief reflection on your learnings over the semester,
This reflection will speak to:
- Your experience in following an engineering process. In particular, the learnings obtained in the Design, Build and Testing phases of the project lifecycle.
- Working within a team to realise a mechatronic prototype.
- Your prototype's performance on demonstration day,
- Recommendations that you would give the METR2800 cohort of Sem 1, 2026. How might you have completed the project differently if you were to start again.
Please refer to Blackboard for a detailed marking criteria.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Translation (MT) are emerging tools that may support students in completing this assessment task. Students may appropriately use AI and/or MT in completing this assessment task. Students must clearly reference any use of AI or MT in each instance. A failure to reference generative AI or MT use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
Submission guidelines
Submit via TurnItIn on Blackboard.
Deferral or extension
You may be able to apply for an extension.
The maximum extension allowed is 14 days. Extensions are given in multiples of 24 hours.
To facilitate timely feedback to students.
A Student Access Plan (SAP) can only be used for a first extension. Extensions based on an SAP may be granted for up to seven (7) days, or the maximum number of days specified in the Electronic Course Profile (ECP), if it is less than seven (7) days. Any further extensions will require additional supporting documentation, such as a medical certificate.
Late submission
A penalty of 10% of the maximum possible mark will be deducted per 24 hours from time submission is due for up to 7 days. After 7 days, you will receive a mark of 0.
Course grading
Full criteria for each grade is available in the Assessment Procedure.
| Grade | Cut off Percent | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 (Low Fail) | 0.00 - 29.99 |
Absence of evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 2 (Fail) | 30.00 - 44.99 |
Minimal evidence of achievement of course learning outcomes. |
| 3 (Marginal Fail) | 45.00 - 49.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of developing achievement of course learning outcomes Course grade description: Falls short of satisfyingﾠbasic requirements for a Pass. |
| 4 (Pass) | 50.00 - 64.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of functional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Satisfies all of the basic learning requirements for the course, such as knowledge of fundamental concepts and performance of basic skills; demonstrates sufficient quality of performance to be considered satisfactory or adequate or competent or capable in the course. |
| 5 (Credit) | 65.00 - 74.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of proficient achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates ability to use and apply fundamental concepts and skills of the course, going beyond mere replication of content knowledge or skill to show understanding of key ideas, awareness of their relevance, some use of analytical skills, and some originality or insight. |
| 6 (Distinction) | 75.00 - 84.99 |
Demonstrated evidence of advanced achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates awareness and understanding of deeper and subtler aspects of the course, such as ability to identify and debate critical issues or problems, ability to solve non-routine problems, ability to adapt and apply ideas to new situations, and ability to invent and evaluate new ideas. |
| 7 (High Distinction) | 85.00 - 100 |
Demonstrated evidence of exceptional achievement of course learning outcomes. Course grade description: Demonstrates imagination, originality or flair, based on proficiency in all the learning objectives for the course; work is interesting or surprising or exciting or challenging or erudite. |
Additional course grading information
ﾠTEAMS OF TWO
On the occasion that a team drops to a complement of two, the Course Coordinator reserves the right to adjust product performance requirements and due dates for progress demonstration and product submissionsﾠto ensure equity of a team of two to other teams.ﾠThe course coordinator also reserves the right toﾠre-arrange the groups.
Supplementary assessment
Supplementary assessment is available for this course.
Additional assessment information
Students will not be given exemptions, or partial credit from any previous attempt of this course, for any piece of assessment. You must complete all of the learning activities and assessment items each time you take a course.
During the course, each team ﾠwill be loanedﾠ a toolbox to assist with their completion of the project. Failure to return this toolbox, complete and in good repair, will be considered to be student misconduct and dealt with accordingly.
A failure to reference AI use may constitute student misconduct under the Student Code of Conduct.
If, for whatever reason, you find that your group is not functioning effectively, please contact your Course Coordinator for support
Learning resources
You'll need the following resources to successfully complete the course. We've indicated below if you need a personal copy of the reading materials or your own item.
Library resources
Library resources are available on the UQ Library website.
Additional learning resources information
Blackboard site
The blackboard site contains information about resources that are available forﾠyou to use and tutorials for certain aspects of the course. You should investigate it thoroughly.
Discussion board
Students areﾠencouraged to post questions (and answers!) on the Blackboard website.ﾠStudents are encouraged to collectively solve problems in the laboratory and on the discussion board.
Laboratory
As a cohort of students you have access to the Mechatronic Team Project Laboratory (50C-403 and 404).
Students must have completed the Student Laboratory Safety Induction, Annual Fire Safety Training and Health Safety and Wellness (HSW) to a specific laboratory induction, all accessed via Blackboard.
If you require access for experimental work, then register for an induction by searching for that laboratory at the following link: https://student.eait.uq.edu.au/urite/?act=show&schedule=1252
Additional requirements to be inducted into each laboratory will be listed on that link.
Students can also check their HSW training card here: https://student.eait.uq.edu.au/safe
Access to laboratories will be granted after all of the specific laboratory requirements have been met.
If you have any enquiries regarding HSW please contact the School’s Technical Services Team on labsupport@mechmining.uq.edu.
Learning activities
The learning activities for this course are outlined below. Learn more about the learning outcomes that apply to this course.
Filter activity type by
Please select
| Learning period | Activity type | Topic |
|---|---|---|
Multiple weeks From Week 1 To Week 13 |
Workshop |
Workshop The weekly workshop will guide students through the seven step engineering process. We will also discuss assessment items in finer detail and provide support. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10, L11, L12, L13, L14, L15, L16, L17, L18, L19, L20 |
Multiple weeks From Week 2 To Week 13 |
Practical |
Practical Students will complete weekly practical sessions where they can receive techincal support from the teaching team. Learning outcomes: L01, L02, L03, L04, L05, L06, L07, L08, L09, L10, L11, L12, L13, L14, L15, L16, L17, L18, L19, L20 |
Policies and procedures
University policies and procedures apply to all aspects of student life. As a UQ student, you must comply with University-wide and program-specific requirements, including the:
- Student Code of Conduct Policy
- Student Integrity and Misconduct Policy and Procedure
- Assessment Procedure
- Examinations Procedure
- Reasonable Adjustments - Students Policy and Procedure
Learn more about UQ policies on my.UQ and the Policy and Procedure Library.