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Title
Building Robots: System Integration
Category
general
UUID
8e3a5e6ceab443339d56229af0a6d99f
Source URL
https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/building-robots-system-integration/
Parent URL
https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/our-courses/ai-data-computer-science/robotics...
Crawl Time
2026-03-23T11:23:55+00:00
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Building Robots: System Integration

Source: https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/building-robots-system-integration/ Parent: https://learningforlife.tudelft.nl/our-courses/ai-data-computer-science/robotics/

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For instructor paced courses this is the length of the course.

For self-paced courses this is the length of the course if you spend the amount of time per week as specified. You're free to go faster or slower as you see fit.

8 Weeks - Effort 4 - 6 Hours per week

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Learn how to integrate components and modules from diverse engineering disciplines into cohesive and functional robotic systems.

Mechatronic systems are transforming our world, with robots as some of the most impactful examples. These versatile machines enhance efficiency across diverse fields, from manufacturing and agriculture to household tasks and space exploration.

Robots highlight the power of mechatronic system integration, where mechanical, electronic, and control systems are seamlessly combined to relieve humans of repetitive or hazardous tasks.

This course provides essential knowledge and practical skills for system integration in mechatronics, with a focus on robotics.

Participants will learn to tackle the challenges of integrating multiple engineering disciplines to design and develop robotic applications. Through hands-on learning activities and real-world examples, you’ll gain the skills needed to conceptualize, build, and control fully integrated mechatronic systems and robots.

Who is this course for?\ Designed for engineering students, young engineers or experienced specialists, this course offers an ideal gateway to mastering robotic systems.

A hands-on approach: build your own robot\ One of the course's unique features is its use of modular mechatronic educational hardware. This hardware facilitates a systematic approach to designing robotic applications, guiding you through the entire process of mechatronic system integration – from conceptualization and analysis to construction and control.

The open-source hardware and firmware enables customization, making it adaptable for various applications, including student thesis projects.

Full Program\ This course is an initiative of the Erasmus + project GEMS (Graceful Equalizing of Mechatronics Students). It is the last course of the online program: Building Robots: From Mechatronic Components to Robotics, developed by GEMS partners, with the University of Ljubljana leading the part about system integration in robotics.

After taking this course, you will be able to:

##### Course Syllabus

Week 0: Introduction to System Integration for Robotics\ Introduction to the course\ Participants learn about course requirements, goals and equipment that will be used.

Week 1: Mechatronic system design\ Discussion of mechatronic system design.

Participants learn to set specifications for a mechatronic system and describe it.

Week 2: 3D printing: Enabling robot manufacturing technology\ Technology for 3D printing and its role in mechatronic system design is presented with a focus on FDM 3D printing process

Participants learn to design a part that can be 3D printed with FDM technology.

Week 3: Mobile robot: Differential drive\ The concept of mobile robots is introduced and a mobile robot with a differential drive is analyzed.

Participants learn to calculate mobile robot kinematics and create a program for its movement.

Week 4: Robotic arm: An articulated robot\ The concept of a robotic arm is introduced, and a simple articulated robot is analyzed.

Participants learn to calculate articulated robot kinematics and create a program for its movement.

Project: Create a wirelessly controlled robot\ A project for creating a robot is divided into three parts. Participants learn to implement a robotic application from assembly to result sharing.

Week 5: Part 1 – Assemble\ A project to create a wirelessly controlled robot based on GEMS servomotor is introduced and the specifics of creating multi-program wireless control system are discussed.

Participants prepare, assemble and test the robot hardware to gain valuable first-hand experience implementing a mechatronic system.

Week 6: Part 2 – Control\ Participants first create a program that demonstrates working communication paths between modules and then extend it to enable robot motion to be controlled from a web interface.

Week 7: Part 3 – Improve and share\ In the last week participants improve the robot control program by including additional available sensors or user interface. Project results are presented with a short video and technical documentation. - Qualifications

Chartered Engineering Competences\ All our online courses and programs have been matched to the competences determined by KIVI’s Competence Structure, a common frame of reference for everyone, across all disciplines, levels and roles.

These competences apply to this course:

This is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) that runs on edX.

##### Prerequisites

Recommended courses from this series:

This course is a Massive Open Online Course (MOOC). Our MOOCs are delivered on edX.org and are open to all. They include video lectures, readings, assignments, and community discussions. Content is free, with optional certificates and additional exercises available for a fee.

This course has been supported by the DigiWind project, co-funded by the European Union under Grant Agreement No. 101122836. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Health and Digital Executive Agency. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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