Creative Design of Mechanical Systems A

Academic unit or major

Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering

Instructor(s)

Tohru Yagi / Hiroki Akasaka / Kazuyoshi Fushinobu / Hiraku Sakamoto / Takushi Saito / Tadahiko Shinshi / Yasuko Yanagida / Yoichi Murakami / Takashi Sasabe / Tetsuo Sawada / Jiang Zhu / Hiroyuki Nabae / Takao Yasui

Class Format

Experiment

Media-enhanced courses

-

Day of week/Period
(Classrooms)

1-4 Tue (石川台3号館201A,201B,201C号室 石川台3号館303号室)

Class

A

Course Code

MEC.Q301

Number of credits

002

Course offered

2021

Offered quarter

1-2Q

Syllabus updated

Jul 10, 2025

Language

Japanese

Syllabus

Course overview and goals

In this class, a group of students, approx. 7 people, will plan and design a new creative and mechanical system meeting user needs. Students will acquire basic practical skills in designing, drafting and building of products.

1. Ability to set up problems based on surveys of users and sites used
2. Creative thinking for problem solving
3. Planning and designing ability to form ideas
4. Technology that accurately conveys content to instructors through presentations and design reviews

Course description and aims

1. You can discover problems from the user's perspective through ethnographic surveys and interviews.
2. In order to solve problems, you can grasp problems from multiple points of view, and give ideas for problem solving with flexible and free ideas.
3. Rather than just finishing up with ideas, you can think technically how to actually create something realistic.
4. It is possible to create a highly complete design proposal by repeating the process of creating a prototype in the form of an idea, extracting problems, and improving it.

This subject corresponds to the acquisition of;
8. Ability to plan and execute projects in coordination with others

Student learning outcomes

実務経験と講義内容との関連 (又は実践的教育内容)

This course will be offered using some examples of a project management, since one instructor has experience in a private industry.

Keywords

Planning・Designing, Creativity, Design thinking, Prototype, Group working, Processing technique, Control technology, Total Scholastic Ability

Competencies

• Specialist skills
• Intercultural skills
• Communication skills
• Critical thinking skills
• Practical and/or problem-solving skills

Class flow

The course is centered on group work in groups of 7 people. Each group will propose a concept, manufacture a prototype, and give a presentation. Please work on concept proposal and prototype manufacturing assignments both during class and as homework. You are supposed to submit your assignments to OCW-i. Use Slack for close communication between team members. Slack URL will be provided shortly on OCW-i.

Course schedule/Objectives

Study advice (preparation and review)

To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 50 minutes preparing for class and another 50 minutes reviewing class content afterwards (including assignments) for each class.
They should do so by referring to textbooks and other course material.

Textbook(s)

Not specified. (The lecture materials will be distributed at beginning of this Course or can be downloaded from Slack which will be provide in class.

Reference books, course materials, etc.

Hoshino, Tadashi, Hassouhou Nyumon, Nikkei Bunko ,　ISBN-13: 978-4532110772，(Japanese)
Dustyn Roberts, Making Things Move DIY Mechanisms for Inventors, Hobbyists, and Artists,　ISBN-13: 978-0071741675，
Matsuoka et.al., M Method Design thinking on Multispace, Kindaino Kagakusha, ISBN-13: 978-4764904446，(Japanese)
Karl Ulrich, Steven Eppinger, Product Design and Development, McGraw Hill Higher Education; 5th Revised Ed, ISBN-13: 978-0072296471

Evaluation methods and criteria

Notebook 40%, Assignment 10%, Project report 50%

Related courses

• MEC.Q311 ： Creative Design Project of Mechanical Systems
• MEC.Q201 ： Introduction to Mechanical Systems
• XEG.B101 ： Engineering Literacy 1
• XEG.B102 ： Engineering Literacy 2
• XEG.B103 ： Engineering Literacy 3
• XEG.B104 ： Engineering Literacy 4
• MEC.Q310 ： Machine tool and Safety training

Prerequisites

Students are required to have taken Engineering Literacy (XEG.B101, 102, 103, 104) and Introduction to Mechanical Systems (MEC.Q201.R), or have equivalent knowledge. As the number of practical training devices is limited, priority will be given to students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering if capacity is exceeded.

Other

In this class we use OCW-i and Slack. You can find Slack invitation on OCW-i. Immediately after your registration process, please check OCW-i.

Please do the following before entering the classroom to prevent corona infection.

① Temperature measurement
Be sure to measure the temperature at home and do not come to the university if you have a fever of 37.5 degrees or higher. If you would like to absent from school, please contact Slack's #Late Absence channel by 8 am on the day of the class. We will arrange to take class online for you.

② Alcohol disinfection
Please disinfect your fingers with alcohol at the entrance of Ishikawadai Building No. 3 before entering.
* If you are allergic to alcohol, the disinfectant that can be used depends on your allergy, so please bring your own.

③ Designation of seats and wearing of face shield
Your group will be announced by email shortly.
Groups and seats are designated, so be sure to look at the group's table and take a seat at 8:50 before the class starts. Each of you should wear the face shield used in other class last year.

④ Wearing a mask
Please bring your own mask and wear it always.