When my secondary studies came to an
end, I was only certain about one thing – being
an engineer. There were so many fields available, however
I didn’t want to constrain myself to a single
discipline. By deciding to open my paths and choose
a course that focused on a multidisciplinary profession,
my degree has given me some of the best experiences
I have ever had.
Mechatronics addresses a need in industry caused by
technology advances that have forced an increase in
interactions between the three major disciplines of
mechanical, electrical/electronics and software. Most,
if not all, mechatronics in industry is project based
work. This is reflected through the numerous projects
undertaken in this course.
So far I have completed a range of projects, three
of which were purely mechatronics. Project work is so
important not only because of the nature of this profession
in industry, but also because it allowed me to develop
essential skills like leadership and communication.
This year a team of eight students, including myself,
became the 2005 Swinburne
RoboCup team. RoboCup is an international competition
in which many universities participate. The goal of
this project is to create a team of intelligent robots
to play a game of soccer. Our team focused on prototyping
new designs for the current team of six robots. The
knowledge gained in the project work is invaluable,
and is the best way to learn and demonstrate your skills
and knowledge.
The first reason why I chose Swinburne is because of
its Industry-Based
Learning program (IBL). I was given the opportunity
to work for the second largest research and development
organisation in Australia. This exposed me to so much
more that lectures could not have possibly prepared
me for. The experience has made a large impact on my
career direction and increased my future opportunities.
There is a lot about Swinburne and this course that
makes it such an intensive and challenging experience,
but there is only one thing that has surprised me –
how much fun it has been.
Find
out more about Swinburne
Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering here.
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