FOSTERING ENGINEERING THINKING THROUGH INTELLIGENT ELECTRONIC PRODUCTION PROGRAM AT NIT SENDAI COLLEGE

Abstract

NIT Sendai College offers a practical training course called Intelligent Electronic Production program that has been conducted in its own curriculum since 2013. Senior students are supposed to develop a self-propelled robot which runs a certain course tracing a line and performs different assigned tasks. Basic components are provided but students have to design the rest of the necessary parts to realize various functions within the fixed budget. This program is the compilation of what the students have learned so far. Each robot is shown at the final contest on the college festival day. They compete for run time, accuracy of movement, stability, and appeal of their own robots in front of public spectators. Through this project- based learning program, students are expected to foster skills of managing the project work with other members in a group, applying their technical knowledge, and demonstrate application of engineering thinking to practice.