Michigan Tech, Gogebic Community College (GCC), West Shore Community College (WSCC), eight industrial partners, and three nonprofit organizations partnered to provide experiential training opportunities in the rapidly developing field of Mechatronics. The project targets 2- and 4-year students, senior high school students, displaced workers, and individuals looking to retool their skills to match current industry needs to explore opportunities in Mechatronics. This project is sponsored by the National Science Foundation's Experiential Learning for Emerging and Noval Technologies (ExLENT) Program. Upon completion of the program, the participants will receive a certificate of completion outlining robotics, mechanical, electrical, and controls, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence areas of competencies.
Including all support, each participant will receive $5500 compensation over two weeks of in-person training at Michigan Tech and during the rotational program with our Industrial Clusters. The compensation includes a stipend, per diem, full coverage of travel, and living accommodation costs.
The participants in this ExLENT project will be immersed in 3-Phase “HOW, WHAT, and WHY?” experiential learning.
Phase I
Phase I will provide the participants with foundational knowledge in five critical areas of mechatronics: robotics, mechanical, electrical, and controls, cybersecurity, and artificial intelligence. The participants will utilize a Mechatronics Educational Portal (MEP) – developed as part of this ExLENT project – to engage in a five-week, remote, self-paced training utilizing the MEP's advanced educational materials and tools. Phase I will enable participants to understand “HOW” mechatronics systems function.
Phase II
Upon completing the MEP training, the participants will participate in Phase II (WHAT) - one-week practical training at Michigan Tech laboratories, where the knowledge obtained via the MEP will be reinforced with hands-on activities in all five critical areas of Mechatronics. Phase II will create an important and often missing link between theoretical knowledge and practical implementation. Phase II will help the participants to understand “WHAT” mechatronics systems are designed to achieve.
Phase III
In Phase III, the participants will be engaged with Industry Clusters - advanced industrial facilities in the Upper Peninsula and Northern Michigan. This phase is critical in closing the loop for understanding all mechatronics concepts from theoretical knowledge, practical applications, and actual implementation of mechatronics systems in industrial settings. Via organized visits to Industry Clusters, the participants will be able to obtain an industry-oriented outlook in Mechatronics, enable in-person experience of the implementation and operation of mechatronics systems in industrial settings, and converse with industry professionals about the mechatronics subjects. Phase III will help the participants to answer one of the most important questions: “WHY”. The industrial companies that encompass Industry Clusters bring a vast amount of knowledge and experience in mechatronics solutions.
National Science Foundation, ExLENT award number #2322532