Project: Design, build, and test a first-generation prototype of a new product or process for solving a problem to improve quality of life
In this section of Engineering 100, we learn how engineers across all disciplines view and change the world around them. You will see that engineers bring much of their experience and learning to bear on problem solving. It’s not just math and science, though those are critical tools in the process. The best of engineering embraces one’s passion to create things, to help others, and to encourage our exploration of the unknown. This course teaches all steps and aspects of the engineering design process, from a broadly interdisciplinary perspective. It also covers material relevant to entrepreneurship – whether conventional start-ups, social ventures, or “intrapreneurial” innovation. The course project provides a team-based experience in applying the design principles for understanding and solving problems – with a focus on improving people’s quality of life in meaningful ways.