67 courses with the subject ENGR, each shown exactly as we captured it from the college's catalog, with every element we hold. Where the wording looks broken, that is our reading of the catalog, not the college's text.
ENGR 1125Introduction to Sensors, Instrumentation and Measurement4
Conducting experiments and making measurements is an essential aspect of all branches of science and engineering. Nearly all of our current quantitative understanding of the natural and engineered world has come from the interplay between theory and measurements. Models and simulations of systems require experimental validation and performance of engineered systems must not only be predicted, but also measured and tested. In this course we will learn the basic tools of making physical measurements and conducting experiments. We will collect data, analyze data, conduct basic error analysis, and design experimental systems. Using inexpensive modern sensors, we will build the necessary supporting electronics and learn to collect data with computer based data acquisition systems. The first part of the course will focus on individual work and students will conduct labs on basic electrical, mechanical and environmental measurements. The later part of the course will involve a team project that involves designing and executing an experiment that involves measurement, data acquisition and data analysis. ENGR.
Special Topics in Engineering classes (ENGR X199) typically cover a specific topic in Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
We take nature, an important source of inspiration and understanding, as a theme and develop bio-inspired ideas into functional prototypes. Our focus is on the general principles and methods that shape the practice of engineering design. Students gain experience in sketch modeling, experimentation, estimation, fabrication, teaming, and presentation as they relate to designing through individual and team projects. We seek to develop a shared practice and understanding of engineering design while supporting students as they develop their engineering design identities. Throughout, we engage with sustainability by incorporating principles of biomimicry and taking environmental impact into account. ENGR. Hours: 6-0-6.
This course covers the fundamentals of machine tool operations, classical machining techniques, and CAD methods. Students will learn principles of technical drawing, fabrication and assembly of mechanical systems, how to interpret and establish appropriate design requirements to make parts to specification and how to inspect parts to ensure that they meet specification. Students will come away with a sound understanding of drawing interpretation and creation, machine shop safety, bench work, measurement, part layout, and machine setup, operation and maintenance. Assigned projects will involve significant machining time to fabricate mechanical components and a working mechanical system (e.g., tesla turbine). ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
ENGR 2110Principles of Integrated Engineering 4 ENGR8
Engineering Capstone - One of: Eligible students will receive a detailed questionnaire from the capstone directors early in the spring semester before the capstone activity begins. Based on this student information, students will be assigned to DJS (formerly ADE) or SCOPE or a designated alternative (if available). Each option is a two-consecutive-semester course requirement, totaling
ENGR 2160DREAM Designing Resources for Empowerment4
DREAM is a studio for students to examine inequalities in places where hands-on making is encouraged and to understand what it means to develop empowering experiences. The class features hands-on projects that allow students to expand their skills as makers with media of their choosing, from computing to craft material and from CAD to CAM. Students will attend at least one of approximately four interactions with off-campus entities such as community technology centers, maker faires, and innovation spaces in schools or libraries. A group project will provide opportunities for students to grapple with the realities of facilitating hands-on making in scenarios where participants have a history of being marginalized. Weekly class meetings mix making time with studying cases of both effective and ineffective empowering interventions in a variety of settings. Students will draw from lessons learned from each case as they design their experiences pragmatically. ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
Special Topics in Engineering classes (ENGR X199) typically cover a specific topic in Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
Students develop detailed concepts and models of authentic new products and services. Our focus is on user-oriented, collaborative approaches to design and seeking holistic solutions integrating user and functional perspectives. We emphasize the importance of process and the development of strategies. Students observe and engage people to develop a deep understanding of their values and the patterns of their lives. They work collaboratively in a studio environment to create a shared understanding of the people they design for (and with) and the product ideas they develop. Topics covered include design thinking, ethnographic methods, concept development and interaction design. ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
Special Topics in Design Engineering classes (ENGR X299) typically cover a specific topic in Design Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
This course covers the principles of statics of structures and mechanics of materials. The focus is on the concepts of stress and strain as related to applied loads (axial, shear, torsion, bending) and to resulting deformation. Students will learn how the principles of mechanics can be applied to mechanical design through modeling, quantitative analysis, strain gauge measurements, and computational simulation. The use of a commercial finite element package is introduced. ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
Through project experiences, students will learn the techniques needed to both master the technical communication of mechanical designs and the fabrication skills needed to rapidly build them. Students will practice professional drafting techniques to describe a full range of fabricated components, including milled, lathed, sheet metal, water jet, injection molded, 3D printed and welded components. This course will include a significant machine shop component, where each student will gain exposure to advanced fabrication techniques. The final project will be the design and fabrication of a fully operational, complex mechanical system. ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
This course is an extension of Engineering Systems Analysis. This second half course extends material from the first half- semester to focus on the derivation, analysis, and simulation of translational and rotational equations of motion for particles and rigid bodies in 3D using physics-based models. Along with ENGX2134, this course is required for ME majors. ENGR. Recommended Requisites completion of QEA 1, 2, and 3. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course covers the fundamental principles of thermodynamics, heat transfer, and fluid flow as applied to engineering systems. It provides a foundation in fundamental thermodynamic phenomena, including the first and second laws of thermodynamics for closed systems, thermodynamic properties, and equations of state in ideal gases and incompressible fluids. Topics in heat transfer include conduction, convection, and resistance networks, with an emphasis on thermal modeling. Topics in fluid flow include pipe flow networks, inviscid flows, and basic aerodynamics. Students will predict the behavior of engineered systems, design kites that fly, and develop curiosity about thermal-fluid phenomena in everyday life. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8. Corequisite: ENGX2010; OR ENGX2011.
Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering classes (ENGR X399) typically cover a specific topic in Mechanical Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
As a half-course, Engineering Systems Analysis: Signals extends material from the first half-semester to focus on fundamental concepts from linear systems such as frequency response, impulse response, and system identification. The course introduces sampling and aliasing, as well as discrete-time linear operators, transforms, and filtering. Along with ENGX2134, this course is required for ECE majors. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
ENGR 2420Intro Microelectronic Circuits with laboratory4
This course will cover elements of linear circuits, such as the operation of basic circuit elements, fundamental circuit laws, and analytic techniques in both the time domain and the frequency domain. It will also cover the transistor-level design of complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) electronic circuits in the context of modern integrated-circuit technology. The course will include an introduction to the fabrication and operation of metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) transistors and to the design and operation of the basic building blocks of analog integrated circuits including single-transistor amplifier stages, current mirrors, CAS codes, differential pairs, and single-stage operational amplifiers. Throughout the course, an emphasis will be placed on design-oriented circuit analysis techniques and developing circuit reasoning skills. ENGR. Recommended Requisites MTH2210. Hours: 4-4-4.
Software Design (SoftDes) is an introductory course in computing that teaches students how to design, write, and maintain software in the Python programming language. SoftDes is not a programming course, but rather a course that explores and teaches the process of software engineering. This includes describing problems and their solutions in a logically precise way, writing well-styled code that clearly communicates the intent behind the code, and analyzing the design, usability, and performance of software. Thus while much of the day-to-day work of SoftDes involves programming, the course concepts cover a far broader range of ideas. In addition to learning standard constructs in Python, including basic syntax, data types, common libraries and modules, classes, and object-oriented design, students will also learn how to debug faulty code, write unit tests to assess code correctness, how to break down large problem or systems into smaller, simpler components, how to obtain and handle data ethically, and how to maintain and collaborate on code using version control. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
Special Topics in Computing classes (ENGR X599) typically cover a specific topic in Computing and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
Broadly, Bioengineering can be defined as the application of engineering concepts and methods to the solution and study of biological and medical problems. Using a case study approach, this course aims to provide students with a broad understanding of the types of problems Bioengineers explore as well as the engineering and biological methods they employ. We will approach topics through seminar-style discussion of current primary articles from the literature as well as selected hands-on laboratory explorations of topics. Topics to be covered include tissue engineering, use of microfluidics devices for diagnostics, imaging disease states, and prosthetic limbs. In order to explore a topic of particular interest in more depth, students will also write and orally present a research paper on a topic of their choice. This course is crosslisted with SCI2260. Taken under the ENGR2600 number, the course earns Engineering credit. To statisfy an advanced Biology requirement, enroll using SCI2260. ENGR. Recommended Requisites AP/IB Biology satisfies prerequisite if Olin Foundational Biology has not been taken.. Hours: 3-1-8.
Special Topics in Bioengineering classes (ENGR X699) typically cover a specific topic in Bioengineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
How do we measure what's happening in our environment, what do we do with that information, and why do we care? This hands-on, project-based course will introduce approaches that environmental engineers and scientists use to analyze complex environmental systems in order to effectively design solutions to mitigate pollution. We will spend the semester making deep- dives into air quality and water quality, which are at the heart of the two leading causes of premature death in the world: chronic exposure to air pollution and lack of access to clean water. The class focuses on building hands-on skills with real- world data analysis, field sampling techniques and lab analysis skills through integrated projects like analyzing pollutant concentrations along the Charles River, and the course will incorporate strong communication themes as we work toward presenting our results to several diverse audiences. Throughout the course, we will study pollution in its broader social, political, and economic context, considering the complex motivations for pollution mitigation and the broader implications of water and air treatment processes. This course is cross-listed with SCI2310. ENGR.
Exploration of the science and dynamics of renewable energy technologies and their implementation, including grid and storage technologies. A systems-level exploration of renewable energy technology on human populations, economic, social and political power structures will be included as an integral part of this class. Course includes a renewable energy project design and simulation. Topics are: systems dynamics, thermodynamics, grid energy systems, solar photovoltaic, solar thermal, geothermal, hydroelectric and wind systems. Skills developed include the design and simulation of the energy performance of a renewable energy system using the National Renewable Energy Laboratory simulator. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
Special Topics in Engineering classes (ENGR X199) typically cover a specific topic in Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
ENGR 3210(p. 59) Sustainable Design Sustainability theory; UN SDGs vary by project, includes UN SDGs1-5
and 8-16 E:Sust Electives Sixteen credits of approved elective coursework should support the depth, breadth, and coherence of the plan of study; we recommend including four credits of social sciences or humanities along with physical or life sciences or engineering. Electives can include courses that are not primarily centered on sustainability that nevertheless support the student’s learning goals in sustainability. E:Sust elective courses may be drawn from any area including Arts, Humanities, Social Science and Entrepreneurship, Engineering, Science, or Math, and may include up to four credits of research with a sustainability faculty member as the research advisor or disciplinary advisor. Courses counted as E:Sust electives cannot be double-counted for other graduation requirements. Examples of elective courses include advanced courses taken in addition to the advanced requirement (outlined above) and the following courses: Course Number Course Name Sustainability Elements
Introduces fundamental methods and principles for designing, implementing, and evaluating digital interfaces. Considers the realities of human perception and behavior, the needs of people, and the pragmatics of computational infrastructure and application. Focuses on understanding and applying the lessons of human interaction to the design of usable computer-based applications. Learn by doing: work with a team on a semester-long design project. This course will mix studio (open project working time) and seminar (readings and discussion) formats. ENGR. Recommended Requisites ENGR 2510 or other software development experience recommended. Hours: 4-4- 4.
Medical devices can be anything from a tongue depressor to a pacemaker with a microchip to a room-sized MRI, and everything in between. In this course, we will briefly consider the range of artifacts that are considered (bio)medical devices, how they are used, and who they are used for. We will primarily focus on the unique design constraints of and methods used in developing medical devices. We will touch on topics such as regulation and approval of devices, writing user requirements, writing product requirements, manufacturing practices, bioethics, and the body's response to implanted materials and surgical interventions. The first half of the semester will be spent developing skills through a case study model. In the second half of the semester, students will complete a major design project, with an external partner, that is focused at a particular stage of product development. This course is open to students of all majors, satisfies a design depth requirement, and can be used as a mechanical engineering elective. While the examples used are from the biomedical industry, the skills developed are relevant to other highly regulated fields as well (e.g. aerospace). ENGR. Recommended Requisites Foundational Biology. Corequisite: ENGR2250.
We can learn from nature! From studying a leaf to make a better solar cell to emulating natural processes to develop living buildings, the discipline of Biomimicry views nature as “model, mentor and measure†(Benyus, 1997). Spiders spin protein silk with the strength of steel yet much lighter all at ambient temperature and pressure. Cuttlefish change color to match their surroundings in milliseconds by contracting their chromatophores and even bioluminesce. In this course we will study wonders like these to appreciate the beauty and sophistication of life by investigating the biological mechanisms and functions of organisms as well as the dynamics of whole ecosystems. By examining biological systems at multiple scales, we can draw insights from understanding how they work. By collecting data, running experiments, creating models, or building prototypes, we can translate these insights into design ideas and practice. We will examine and discuss big ideas and thinking in biology and design and then synthesize and reflect on the intersection of these fields. Students will develop skills and insights through critical analysis of readings and the development of projects that draw on both fields. Biological systems have undergone 3.8 billion years of evolution, resulting in time-tested approaches to living on earth that are efficient and embody sustainability. By exploring the intersection of biology and design, we might learn to do the same. This course is crosslisted with SCI2235. Enrollment in ENGR3235 is as design depth as projects will be focused on engineering design solutions. If advanced science credit is desired, enroll in SCI2235. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8. Corequisite: ENGR2250.
How do engineers creatively engage with multiple audiences and stakeholders for their work? Telling stories is critical for anyone who makes things: communicating technical work to non-experts, creating persuasive arguments for technology adoption, or projecting a future with better engineering in it. This course will cover how stories are built and how to craft your own, exploring communication design in multiple forms of media: print, images, film, music, and more. The course includes excursions to experience location-specific visual representation, multiple individual communication experiments, group collection of media, and a culminating project in which students will tell the story of one of their own projects. We'll look at how music videos, cereal boxes, advertisements, grocery shopping, infographics and even people's outfits (just to name a few) can inform how you might build an effective story about one of your own projects. This course is organized into 3 main sections: Introduction, Questions and Project. Introduction: The first 4 lessons and associated assignments will act as a warmup for the class. They will help to develop a common language, encourage students to look more closely at the things around them, introduce critique into the class and set the tone for the course moving forward. Questions: The majority of the class will look at visual communication as it relates to 7 questions which cover core understandings about design. These questions build a basis for a complete critique of a design and also provide a structure on which we will explore specific elements of design such as image, type, context, organization, etc. The questions are 1)Should we do this?, 2) What is the message?, 3) Who is the audience?, 4) Who else is doing this?, 5) What is the concept?, 6) What are the elements?, and 7) How is it organized? Project: The last quarter of the course will be used by students to create a visual project that communicates the story of something that they have made. Parameters for thew project are decided on by the class but will include initial exploration rounds, multiple rounds of designs, in-class critique and a final deliverable visual artifact. ENGR. Corequisite: ENGR2250.
The engineering design process can often be completed more quickly and efficiently by applying quantitative analysis at various points. In this course, students will apply their existing skills and knowledge and learn new tools to perform quantitative analysis in the context of the design process, including techniques for validation and verification of results and communicating those results to support and effectively guide design decisions. Introductory modules will involve computation simulation tools (e.g., commercial FEA software), optimization, and system integration. In the later part of the semester, students will define and carry out the full design process, starting and ending with a user, on their own multidisciplinary projects (e.g., electromechanical system or product). ENGR. Corequisite: ENGR2250.
This course equips students with an interdisciplinary set of tools to design, build, and critique technologies that mediate access to physical and digital worlds. We will use disability as a lens to examine the ways in which technology (e.g., assistive, medical, consumer) can both enhance and diminish access to economic, social, and informational resources. Students will examine the history of such technologies and analyze modern trends. Building from this perspective, students will learn about design processes and implementation strategies for maximizing the accessibility of the technologies they build. During the course, student teams will work with a community partner to design a technology to enhance accessibility (along some dimension) for a user group with a disability. Students will learn and employ user-centered approaches throughout the course. ENGR. Corequisite: ENGR2250.
Design for Manufacturing (DFM) will build the specialized design skills needed to professionally redesign a prototype in order to meet target price, reliability and functionality goals, whether the final market requires a single unit per year (i.e. space systems, like satellites) or fifty thousand units a week (i.e. consumer products). This course will be heavily team and project based and will involve the re-design for manufacture of several products, devices and services at the discretion of the instructor. The overall course projects will incorporate a significant mechanical, electronic and software components (but perhaps not all three in any one project) and will be drawn widely from the consumer, industrial, and sustainable market sectors. Course will potentially involve field trips to manufacturing facilities and invited DFM lecturers as appropriate to support the particular projects offered in a given semester. ENGR. Recommended Requisites Shop Training. Hours: 3-6-3.
ENGR 3290Design Justice Studio (formerly ADE) 4 ENGR8
or an approved ENGR3299 Special Topics in Design Engineering course-see registration materials The design depth course chosen above may not be also used in a major plan of study. Engineering Capstone - One of: Eligible students will receive a detailed questionnaire from the capstone directors early in the spring semester before the capstone activity begins. Based on this student information, students will be assigned to ADE or SCOPE. Each option is a two-consecutive-semester course requirement, totaling
Special Topics in Design Engineering classes (ENGR3299X) typically cover a specific topic in Design Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Corequisite: ENGR2250.
This course integrates basic mechanical sciences for application to machine design. Topics include stress, strain, deflection, stiffness, and failure of mechanical components including springs, bearings, gears, shafts and axles; steady and time-dependent loading; mechanical fastening and joining; and power transmission. Techniques for quantitative analysis and design optimization are introduced. The material of this course significantly draws and builds upon the concepts presented in ENGR 2320. Students will carry out a major design project. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
Fundamental techniques for the analysis of the dynamic behavior of mechanical and aerospace systems are studied through modules that involve both computational simulation and experimental measurements. Topics will be selected from multi- degree-of-freedom systems, attitude dynamics and control, aerodynamics, astrodynamics, flexible structures, and aeroelasticity. The modules will run in parallel with a course-long project involving quantitative-analysis-based design, fabrication, evaluation, and refinement of a system to meet user-specified requirements and performance objectives. ENGR. Recommended Requisites one of ENGR2320, ENGR2330 or ENGR2340. Hours: 4-0-8.
Computational simulation based on finite element methods is routinely used in engineering, especially in product design and development. In fact it is likely that the design and fabrication of any human-made, commercially-produced structure or mechanical system that you have come in contact with has been guided by finite element analysis. We'll start with fundamentals principles of FEA focusing on proper usage rather than mathematical theory. You'll learn to apply common analysis processes (e.g., static, dynamic, modal, thermal-mechanical, explicit dynamic). You'll then define your own project(s) where you will apply these tools for quantitative analysis. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course builds on the basic physics of energy, mass, and momentum conservation to enable analysis and design of open thermal-fluid systems. Conservation laws are used to analyze the efficiency of open non-combustion cycles, such as the organic Rankine cycle, with a particular focus on heat pumps. Students analyze heat and momentum transport using the heat equation and the Navier-Stokes equations. The pure substance model is used in tandem with heat and momentum conservation to design heat exchangers and model phase change processes. Students complete open-ended projects analyzing thermal systems of interest. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course explores the techniques for changing the dynamics of a system using feedback control. The first portion of the course covers methods for analyzing the open-loop dynamics of generic systems in the frequency-domain (transfer functions) and time-domain (state-space equations). Then we will develop feedback techniques for shaping the system response. Students completing this course will have the analytical tools for controller design (both classical and modern) as well as a fundamental understanding of the concepts behind feedback control (stability, performance, controllability, observability, etc.). Students will have ample opportunity to experiment with control design by implementing their own designs in analog and digital hardware. Examples from field robotics, aircraft, and intelligent-structures will be used for both in-class and hands-on demonstrations. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course encompasses the fundamentals of perception, sensors, computer vision, navigation, localization, actuation, manipulation, mobility (e.g., walk, swim, roll, crawl, fly), and intelligence (e.g., control, planning, and mission execution). The course is built around the review and discussion of seminal technical papers in the robotics field with guest lecturers both from various Olin faculty and from external leaders in the robotics community. There is a significant project component to help solidify key concepts. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course combines the components of Fundamentals of Robotics (sensing, cognition and actuation) into the testing and deployment of fully-working interdisciplinary robotic systems. There is a significant lab-based component in which teams of students compete in several main industrial robotics areas to optimize mission performance under real world time constraints. Previous projects include: the design of a robot arm and vision system that plays checkers against human opponents; the design of closed-loop-controlled unmanned ground vehicles to autonomously circumnavigate the Olin Oval, and the design of an intelligent assembly system for autonomous processing of multi-well bio-assay trays. ENGR. Recommended Requisites Fundamentals of Robotics or Computational Robotics. Hours: 4-0-8.
Special Topics in Mechanical Engineering classes (ENGR X399) typically cover a specific topic in Mechanical Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Recommended Requisites Junior or Senior standing; or permission of instructor.
This course introduces a broad range of computation structures used in computation, from logic gates to specialized (e.g. DSP, cellular automata) as well as general purpose architectures. Design techniques for quantitatively optimizing performance are also taught. Students build a computer from the ground up. ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
Signal processing - the modeling, transformation, and manipulation of signals and their content - underpins virtually all facets of our daily lives due to the coupling of computing and communications in consumer, industrial, and public sector applications. Discrete-time signals, obtained through the sampling of continuous-time signals, and their frequency domain equivalents, can undergo transformation via systems, e.g., finite-duration impulse response (FIR) and infinite-impulse response (IIR) filters. Digital filter design and analysis conjoins such topics as difference equations, the z-transform, stability, frequency response, the discrete Fourier transform, FFT algorithms, windowing, practical implementation structures, A/D and D/A conversion techniques. After researching signal processing applications during the first part of the course, students initiate and realize individual DSP projects by end-of-term. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course teaches students design techniques for analog and digital communications, including elementary coding and information theory. Topics also include modulation schemes, data compression, error detection and correction, encryption, transmitter and receiver design, and routing protocols. Students build an operative communications link over an unreliable channel. ENGR. Recommended Requisites ENGR 2410 or Permission of Instructor. Hours: 4-4-4.
This course will provide an overview of mixed-signal (analog and digital) integrated circuit design in complimentary metal- oxide (CMOS) technologies. Students will learn transistor-level design of digital and analog circuits, layout techniques for digital and analog circuit modules, and special physical considerations that arise in a mixed-signal integrated circuit. Students will design a custom mixed-signal integrated circuit that could be sent out for fabrication at the end of the semester if a suitable fabrication vehicle is available. ENGR. Hours: 4-4-4.
Through a series of projects, students will learn all aspects of printed-circuit board (PCB) design at the prototype scale of manufacturing, including electronic circuit/system design, component selection, schematic capture, PCB layout, assembly, and testing. Familiarity with circuits, electronics, and firmware development at the levels of ISIM (ENGR 1125) and PoE (ENGR 2110) are required to take the course. This course satisfies the ECE elective requirement. ENGR. Hours: 3-3-6.
ENGR 3499Special Topics in Electrical & Computer Engineering
Special Topics in Electrical and Computer Engineering classes (ENGR X499) typically cover a specific topic in Electrical and Computer Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Recommended Requisites ISIM and Circuits strongly recommended; junior or senior standing; interested sophomores should contact the instructor to discuss enrollment options.. Prerequisite: ENGR2410.
In this course, you will be introduced to the common data structures and algorithms that will enable you to grow as a programmer and problem solver. You will learn how to do mathematical analysis of data structures and algorithms, including run time analysis and proof of correctness. But you will also be practicing how to implement these concepts and evaluating performance in practice. By the end, you should feel comfortable approaching a computational problem from start to finish: writing pseudocode, choosing appropriate data structures, designing algorithms, and analyzing your program. Credits: 4 ENGR. Recommended Requisites MTH2110, Discrete Mathematics recommended co-requisite, or prior to enrolling.
An introduction to the design and implementation of system-level software, including operating systems, networks, and databases. Topics include processes and threads, memory and storage management, networking and inter-process communication, scheduling and synchronization. Note: Permission of instructor may be obtained in lieu of prerequisite if appropriate. ENGR. Hours: 3-0-9.
Data Science is a powerful toolkit for using data to answer questions and guide decision making. It involves skills and knowledge from statistics, software engineering, machine learning, and data engineering. In this class, students work on data science projects that involve collecting data or finding data sources, exploratory data analysis and interactive visualization, statistical analysis, predictive analytics, model selection and validation. Course work involves readings and case studies on ethical practice in data science. This course may be used to satisfy the Probability and Statistics requirement. ENGR. Recommended Requisites ENGR2510: Software Design or permission of instructor. Concurrent Requisites: MTH2131.
Machine learning is rapidly reshaping how we live our lives. Machine learning approaches have driven recent progress in an array of technologies that have the potential to realize huge positive impacts on our world (e.g., autonomous driving, language translation, personalized recommendation, large language models, etc). However, the influence of machine learning does not end with these highly visible technologies. Machine learning algorithms are impacting our world in ways that are far less known to the general public, such as in job applicant evaluation, criminal justice, finance, politics, and medicine. The principal aim of this course is to equip students with a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary skill set to understand, implement, and critically evaluate machine learning systems. In service of this goal, students will learn the major algorithmic and mathematical frameworks that undergird modern machine learning methods. Students will learn effective processes for implementing, testing, and refining machine learning systems across a range of application domains. Students will learn how the decisions that machine learning practitioners make interact with larger societal contexts by considering factors such as transparency, fairness, bias, and privacy. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
The study of complex systems represents a new approach to science that investigates how relationships between parts give rise to the collective behaviors of a system and how the system interacts and forms relationships with its environment. (Wikipedia) This class is about complexity science, data structures and algorithms in Python, and the philosophy of science: 1.Complexity science is an interdisciplinary field â€"at the intersection of mathematics, computer science and other disciplines such as physics and economics â€"that focuses on models of systems with many components, local interactions, and complex behavior. These models are often characterized by structure, rules and transitions rather than by equations. 2.Data structures and algorithms in Python: This class picks up where Software Design leaves off, introducing additional data structures, algorithms, language features, design patterns, and software engineering tools that are appropriate for modeling, simulating and analyzing complex systems. 3.Philosophy of science: The models and results in this class raise a number of questions relevant to the philosophy of science â€"including the nature of scientific laws, theory choice, realism and instrumentalism, holism and reductionism â€"which we will discuss as they arise, along with related readings. Topics may include the structure and dynamics of complex networks; cellular automata, self-organized criticality, and generative systems; fitness landscape models of biological and technological evolution; and agent-based models of social and economic behavior. ENGR. Recommended Requisites ENGR2510 or permission of instructor. Hours: 4-0-8.
How do scientists use computers to understand the natural world? How do you create and test real-world scientific software? Over the course of three projects, you will gain expertise in creating complex scientific software that, for example, simulates how ant trails are formed. You will compare your results to a benchmark, or a real-world result. You will gain experience scoping a software project (a notoriously difficult task), practice skills such as refactoring, increasing code speed, providing feedback on other people's code, and presenting your results in a way that is clear and exciting to your audience. This course includes agent-based models; although we focus on scientific applications the skills you will learn are broadly applicable to the creation of computer graphics and robotics. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
This course will provide a computationally-focused introduction to the field of robotics. Students will learn how to both select and design algorithms for solving interesting problems in robotic perception and control. Additionally, students will learn to successfully balance tradeoffs between accuracy of an algorithm and its computational efficiency in both space and time. The course will move from structured labs to more open-ended projects as the semester progresses. Specific content areas that the course may address are: computer vision, machine learning, reinforcement learning, path planning, mapping and localization. ENGR.
Special Topics in Computing classes (ENGR X599) typically cover a specific topic in Computing and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Prerequisite: ENGR2510.
Neurotechnology falls in the intersection of engineering, data science, and neuroscience. This area involves work in how humans can use machines to understand how we think and how to make machines that can think. Advances in neurotechnology will likely lead to new treatments for brain disorders, repair and augmentation of our sensory and motor systems, and shifts in computation strategies. In this course, students will learn about cutting-edge technologies used to understand and emulate the brain, develop statistical data analysis skills to conduct and understand neurotechnology research, and discuss the cultural and ethical implications of these advances. Course work will involve analysis of data from neuroscience, reading and synthesizing articles from research journals, and project work. ENGR. Concurrent Requisites: MTH2135.
Special Topics in Bioengineering classes (ENGR X699) typically cover a specific topic in Bioengineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR.
In this class, we learn failure analysis by doing failure analysis. By planning and implementing hands-on investigations in a laboratory setting, we will gain practical experience in the analysis of engineered components and systems that fail in expected or unexpected ways. Case study readings and class discussions will help us develop an understanding of technical topics such as failure analysis methodology, fracture classifications and micromechanisms, corrosion and degradation, and materials selection and design decision-making. Self-directed projects will enable skill building in laboratory methods and advanced materials characterization techniques, such as scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS), x- ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), optical microscopy, and fracture surface sample preparation. We won't stop there. We will broaden our learning by critically analyzing how “engineering†failures intersect issues of economics, policy, regulation, justice, and ethical decision-making in complex systems. We will pay particular attention to the social and environmental consequences of larger systemic failures by examining concrete case studies (e.g., the Flint water crisis, Love Canal, e-waste in Guiyu) as well as more abstract and aspirational models for the future (e.g., material circularity, extended producer responsibility). Written and oral communication assignments will support development of professional skills in synthesizing laboratory and research data, developing and supporting technical arguments, and contextualizing our findings. This course is cross-listed with SCI3420. ENGR. Hours: 4-0-8.
Prerequisite required of a foundation materials science course..
Alias
SCI 3420
ENGR 3899Special Topics in Materials Science
Special Topics in Engineering classes (ENGR X899) typically cover a specific topic in Materials Science Engineering and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Recommended Requisites Prerequisite required of a foundation materials science course.<br /><br />. Prerequisite: SCI1410.
This course is offered by robotics faculty and covers diverse topics that range from 1 to 4 credits and may be completed in one or multiple semesters. The course provides students the opportunity to gain research experience on topics of interest. The required deliverables for successful completion of Directed Research are defined by the faculty offering the course and take into account the credits and topic involved. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Recommended Requisites Foundational courses (Fundamentals of Robotics and Computational Robotics). Hours: 0-2-10.
Special Topics in Robotics Engineering classes (ENGR3999) typically cover a specific topic in Robotics and are intended to enhance and expand the selection of offerings from semester to semester. Specific topics may be found in the semester materials. Credits: Variable Credits ENGR. Recommended Requisites Foundational courses (Fundamentals of Robotics and Computational Robotics). Hours: 4-0-8.
ENGR 4190SCOPE: Senior Capstone Program in Engineering4
SCOPE is one of the two Engineering Capstone requirements for all Olin students. It incorporates formal, team-based, year- long engineering projects done in conjunction with 10 to 14 external companies. Each project will be executed by a single student team, supported by a dedicated faculty member, in partnership with one of these companies. Each student team will have between four and six members from the senior class. Students may conduct advanced research, perform market analysis, develop experimental prototypes, design new products or redesign existing products in the execution of this project. As SCOPE is an 8 credit, year-long, fall/spring offering, a single grade will be given upon completion of 8 credits of SCOPE. After completion of the fall semester, a TBG grade will appear upon a students transcript until a grade is assigned at the end of the spring. The single grade assigned will appear in both the fall and the spring on transcripts. Students not completing a second semester of SCOPE will receive a grade for the fall and will therefore not satisfy the requirement of engineering capstone with the SCOPE program. Note that students not performing adequate work in the fall semester will receive an end-of-semester notice of concern (see the Grading at Olin section of the Olin College Catalog for more information). Note: Cross-registered and Exchange students must obtain permission from the SCOPE Director to enroll. ENGR. Recommended Requisites Must be a senior.
ENGR 4290Design Justice Studio Capstone (formerly ADE)4
This course engages students in community-based, participatory design and action. Teams partner with communities and organizations to achieve positive social and environmental impact with a strong justice framing, working for change in areas like air quality, community development, food processing, global health, and rights and privacy (addressing mass incarceration) over several semesters. Guided by an experienced faculty advisor, teams make change through design for impact, social entrepreneurship, community organizing, participatory research, political advocacy and other practices. All teams practice social benefit analysis, theory of change, assumption testing, cross-cultural engagement tools, dissemination of innovation methods, and ethical norms. Students regularly engage stakeholders in inclusive processes, in person and virtually, to observe, strategize, plan, co-design, prototype, test, and implement approaches supported by a significant project budget. There are often opportunities to travel locally, nationally, or internationally to work with partners. Students are exposed to mindsets and dispositions for working with integrity and responsibility in their stakeholders' contexts through guided exercises, case studies, guest speakers, readings, and reflections. Students learn and apply changemaking practices through project work, and gain essential experience building relationships across difference and developing their own self- and cultural awareness. This course is part of the BOW collaboration, offered jointly between Olin and Babson, and open to Wellesley students. Olin students can elect ADE to fulfill the Engineering Capstone requirement by registering for ENGR 4290 for two consecutive semesters beginning in the second semester of their junior year or the first semester of their senior year. Alternatively, students can take this course for one semester to fulfill the Design Depth requirement by registering for ENGR 3290. Students that take ENGR 3290 in their second semester junior year can opt to switch to ENGR 4290 for capstone credit. ENGR. Hours: 2-2-8.
This course serves as an alternative to the Engineering Capstone and meets all criteria for senior level cumulative engineering experiences. The current offering is: The Tech Venture Capstone (TVC). TVC enables students to gain professional experience undertaking an authentic, team-based engineering project in the context of a prospective new venture. TVC is being offered on an experimental basis as a two semester sequence that fulfills the Engineering Capstone requirement. Mastering key elements will prepare students for starting or contributing at a high level to an early stage company. These elements include: Understanding major user pain points and the value of a solution; understanding the market and segmentation (first/early market, beachhead; customer/user persona; customer buying habits/process); understanding how to go from a prototype to a manufacturable product for a specific customer (problem you are to solve; value of the solution for the customer; product vision; minimum viable product; prototype & productization; production, supply chain, BOM; product validation; quality & compliance; schedule, timing, launch; user experience). By the end of this capstone experience, students will be prepared to face the challenges of productizing prototypes to match market needs. Assessment will be similar to SCOPE, with students evaluated on a combination of their individual learning goals, contribution to their team, and successful execution of the project. (Students are not evaluated on the success of the venture itself.) ENGR. Recommended Requisites Registration notes: Students must be in at least their sixth semester of study, and have successfully completed Products and Markets (AHSE 1515) and User-Oriented Collaborative Design (ENGR 2250)..
