An integrated junior-year laboratory based on an autonomous mobile robot platform

In the Fall 1997 quarter, the Department of Electrical Engineering (EE) at Auburn University implemented a new curriculum model. A significant feature of the new curriculum is a set of 6 core laboratories, occurring over the sophomore and junior years. Unlike prior EE laboratories that are closely aligned with a specific course topic, the new core laboratories are designed to present EE topics in an integrated, multidisciplinary fashion. In this paper, the author describes one of the junior-year laboratory courses, "EE 305-Laboratory V". The EE 305 laboratory course appears in the students' second quarter of the junior year, and is based on a design problem in which teams of 2-3 students attempt to design and fabricate an electronic control system for a small autonomous mobile robot. Topics from several EE subdisciplines are studied as students attack the design project. In addition to reinforcing concepts from earlier and concurrent courses, the course serves as a platform for exposing students to topics that appear in greater depth in later courses, including electives. Also, students mature in areas such as oral and written communication, awareness of professional ethics issues, and working effectively in a team-based setting.