2024 Faculty Courses School of Engineering Undergraduate major in Mechanical Engineering
Creative Design of Mechanical Systems
- 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 / Takashi Sasabe / Jiang Zhu / Hiroyuki Nabae / Yuji Suzuki / Tsutomu Hozumi
- Class Format
- Experiment (Face-to-face)
- Media-enhanced courses
- -
- Day of week/Period
(Classrooms) - 1-4 Tue / 1-4 Fri
- Class
- -
- Course Code
- MEC.Q301
- Number of credits
- 002
- Course offered
- 2024
- Offered quarter
- 1Q
- Syllabus updated
- Mar 14, 2025
- Language
- Japanese
Syllabus
Course overview and goals
In this class, a group of students 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. 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 T2Schola. Use Slack for close communication between team members. Slack URL will be provided shortly on T2Schola.
Course schedule/Objectives
| Course schedule | Objectives | |
|---|---|---|
| Class 1 | Grouping and Introduction － Checking tools and devices, Safety instruction, Announcement of Theme | Propose a method to solve a problem every group. Investigate the existing items |
| Class 2 | Team building activity | Build up teamwork mind |
| Class 3 | Proposal of Concept － Ethnographical research and users observations in real life | Draft a concept to solve a problem. Investigate real users and their life. |
| Class 4 | Sketching － sketches, storyboards | Visualize the effect of advantage for the users. |
| Class 5 | Quick and dirty prototyping | Make mock-up with paper and old junk |
| Class 6 | Poster preparation | Prepare Poster preparation |
| Class 7 | 3 idea presentation | Poster presentation |
| Class 8 | Summerizing 3 idea presentation, Selecting 1 idea per section3 Note for function/specification/modules | Summarizing 3 idea presentation, Selecting 1 idea per section3, Assigning members to each module. |
| Class 9 | Pitch | Present the current ideas and obtain feedback. Concept design for each module. Build a prototype. |
| Class 10 | Introduction to mechanisms and machines | Concept design for each module. Build a prototype. |
| Class 11 | Materials, Fastening and joining parts | Concept design for each module. Build a prototype. |
| Class 12 | Actuators | Concept design for each module. Build a prototype. |
| Class 13 | Bearings, couplers, gears, screws, and springs | Concept design for each module. Build a prototype. |
| Class 14 | Design review preparation | |
| Class 15 | Design review and clean-up | Project report |
Study advice (preparation and review)
To enhance effective learning, students are encouraged to spend approximately 50 minutes preparing for class and another 30 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 must have passed Engineering Literacy (XEG.B101, 102, 103, 104) or have equivalent knowledge. In addition, students must have passed Introduction to Mechanical Systems (MEC.Q201.R). Due to the limited number of equipments available, preference will be given to students in the Department of Mechanical Engineering in the event that the number of students exceeds the maximum number.
Other
In this class we use T2Schola and Slack. You can find Slack invitation on T2Schola. Immediately after your registration process, please check T2Schola.