Teaching and Instructional Activities at MESA LAB

Teaching and Instructional Activities

Last updated 8/23/2017;10/20/17;4/27/2018. 11/30/2019. 2/22/2020. 5/31/2021. 12/7/23. 3/11/2024. 4/2/24, 10/13/2024

(3/18/2024: New course ME152(ME190) Digital Twin information: Course Flyer PDF)

Teaching load official: 5 courses in 2 years.

• 2027
  • Spring 2027 no class or ME/EECS210 Linear Multivariable Control
  • ME211 Nonlinear Control  +   ME142 Mechatronics (or ME152 Digital Twins Course Flyer PDF)
• 2026
  • Spring 2026 no class or ME/EECS210 Linear Multivaraible Control
  • Fall 2026 ME280 Fractional Order Mechanics (course flyer pdf) +   ME152 Digital Twins Course Flyer PDF (or ME142 Mechatronics)
• 2025
  • Spring 2025: ME/EECS210 Linear Multivaraible Control (new: course flyer pdf) 10/13/24 updated
  • Fall 2025: Advanced Controls: Robustness and Optimality +   ME142 Mechatronics (or ME152 Digital Twins Course Flyer PDF)
• 2024
  • Spring 2024 ME210/EECS210 Linear Multivariable Control - additional teaching load. [Textbook link] "Linear System Theory, 2nd Edition" by Wilson J. Rugh (Author), Thomas Kailath (Series Editor)
    • Playlist for all recorded lectures (Sp2022) [email yqchen@ieee.org for the Youtube playlist link]
  • Fall 2024: ME211 Nonlinear Control (4 cr) (lab use: https://www.nonlinearbenchmark.org/)
    • Playlist for all recorded lectures (Sp2021) [yqchen@ieee.org for the Youtube playlist link]
    • new: course flyer pdf 
  • Fall 2024: ME190 (ME152) Digital Twins (4 cr)  [no textbook, syllabus, reference book site: https://www.theedgeai.com/ ] (ref textbook1, ref textbook2) [DT Handbook]
  • Summer 2024 - no ME143 "Introduction to Drones" - cancelled.
• 2023
  • Spring 2023 no class
  • Summer 2023 no class
  • Fall 2023 ME280 Fractional Order Mechanics (FOMech'23 (2013 offering release (32Gb), 2013 Youtube playlist) [2020 playlist] [2017 playlist]  +   ME142 Mechatronics [final project show photos 12/8/2023]
• 2022 [sabbatical leave]
  • Spring ME-142 Mechatronics (Youtube playlist)
  • Spring ME-210 Linear Multivariable Controls (Youtube playlist)
  • Summer ME-143 UAS - Unmanned Aerial Systems [Dr. Stark]
  • Fall ME-212 Advanced Controls: Robustness and Optimality [cancelled] to be offered Fall 2025 due to sabbatical year. (Fall 22 to summer 23)
• 2021
  • Spring ME-142 Mechatronics [digital twins built by the class] [ppts on sensors/actuators] [60 students]
  • Spring ME143 UAS (taught by Dr. Brandon Stark)
  • Summer ME-143 UAS (first 6 weeks)  (taught by Dr. Brandon Stark)
  • Fall ME-211 Nonlinear Controls [Textbook]
• 2020
  • Fall. ME-280 "Fractional Order Mechanics" (Course Flyer.PDF) [4th-time offering] [First time offering slides recorded][Youtube Channel playlist 2013 offering][2013 AFC Day@ UCMERCED playlist] [ 2017 FISP ME-280 playlist] [2013 ASME IDETC MESA workshop whole day play list] [Next offering 2023 Fall]
  • Fall. ENGR-097/ENGR-197 ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/ 
  • Summer. ME-143 UAS
  • Spring. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/  
  • Spring. ME-142 Mechatronics (new lab room SRE-301) [Recorded lectures Youtube playlist] (40 students 3 observers)
  • [new] Spring. ME-210 / EECS-210 "Linear Multivariable Control"  (new, first time offering, using text book by Wilson Rugh's textbook) (Syllabus) [Next offering 2022 Spring] [Youtube playlist] [4 students 10 observers]
  • Spring ME-143 UAS (Dr. Brandon Stark) [new repeating semester in Spring from now on]
• 2019
  • [new] Fall. ME-212 Advanced Controls: Optimality and Robustness (new graduate course) [4 students 10 observers] [description] [Youtube channel play list of recorded lectures]
  • Fall. ME-143 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Dr. Brandon Stark)
  • Fall. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/ 
  • Summer. ME-143 Unmanned Aerial Systems (approved by UGC 10/19/2017)
  • Spring. ME142 Mechatronics (46 students)
  • Spring. Fall. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/   (New project. Nematodes drone for walnuts rootstock project. Dr. Andreas Westphal. Research Story.)
• 2018
  • Fall. ME-211 Nonlinear Control (4cr.)
  • Fall. ME-143 Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Dr. Brandon Stark)
  • Fall. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
  • NEW: Fall. ENGR-197/097 ESL Campus Drone Project (35755;35764)
    by Dr. Brandon Stark - lead, Chris Butler, YangQuan Chen) for Campus Tour guide service, 4/27/2018.
  • Summer ME-143 UAS
  • Spring. ME-142 Mechatronics (4cr.)
  • Spring. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
• 2017
  • Fall. ME-280 "Fractional Order Mechanics" (Course Flyer.PDF) (syllabus:me280-fall2017-syllabus-yqchen.pdf)
    • http://169.236.9.29/ME280-Fall2013-release/
    • https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-euleXgwWUN_r5hersTDQn18MvPK2nUT
  • Fall. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
  • Fall. ME-190 UAS (Dr. Brandon Stark)
  • Summer. USDA 5 weeks AgTech. (web, Youtube)
  • Summer. 5/22-6/30/2017. ME-190 UAS Course (6 weeks, 4 credits)
    • Recorded Lectures at Youtube
  • Spring. ME-142 Mechatronics
  • Spring. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
• 2016
  • Fall 2016. ME-190 UAS (first time offering)
  • Fall 2016. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
  • Spring 2016. ME-142 Mechatronics (Brandon Stark)
  • Spring 2016. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
• 2015
  • Fall 2015. ME-211 Nonlinear Controls
  • Fall 2015. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
  • Spring 2015. ME-142 Mechatronics
  • Spring 2015. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
• 2014
  • Fall 2014. ME-280 Fractional Order Mechanics.
  • Fall 2015. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/
  • Spring 2014. ME-142 "Mechatronics" (gen2)
  • Spring 2014. ME-170 Capstone Projects (UAS - unmanned aircraft systems related) (draft project proposals @12/3/2014)
  • Spring 2014. ESL http://uav.ucmerced.edu/ (First time offering)
• 2013
  • 07/22/2013. Fall 2013 ME-280 "Fractional Order Mechanics" registration paper work. Fill this form.  Make appointment with Dr. Chen and get his signature. (Course flyer and syllabus)
    • ME-280 Fall 2013. FISP Project presentation schedule announced. Richard Magin Dec. 06, 2013 seminars (two!)
    • https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL-euleXgwWUN_r5hersTDQn18MvPK2nUT
      •  https://www.youtube.com/user/FractionalCalculus/featured  (TBD)
      • Check all course materials here: http://169.236.9.29/ME280-Fall2013-release/
  • 08/04/2013. Full-day Workshop at ASME IDETC/CIE2013 "W6: Fractional Order Mechanics — An Introduction of An Emerging Research Field". Click W6 at http://www.asmeconferences.org/IDETC2013/Workshops.cfm
    • Recorded Workshop (TBA)

Scorbot-ER 4U Robotic Arm for Teaching Mechatronics

Informal Classes

• Engineering Service Learning (ESL) course ENGR097/ENGR197 "Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Team" (CRN 15169) (TEAM ESLUAV web)
• Independent Research/Study for credits (ENGR 095, ENGR195, ME195) (all semesters!)
• Capstone sponsorship and/or mentoring
  • Spring 2013
    • Team GLASS (PG&E) | Team ASMS  (DWR) | Team ZOEKEN (PG&E) | Team VADRe Tech. (LLNL) | Team Print-n-Fly (MESA LAB)
  • Fall 2013. Capstone team on forest fire detection: Team Phoenix Aerospace.
  • Spring 2014. Low cost, transportable, (inter-dockable) USV: Team NavyGatorinc.com
  • Fall 2014 (?), (contact us earlier for a spot!)

Formal Classes

• Fall 2014. ME-280 "Fractional Order Mechanics" course flyer (PDF)
• Spring 2014. ME-142 Mechatronics.
•  
• Spring 2013. ME-142 "Mechatronics" - we will have 48 spots open for registration. Please note the prerequisites: ENGR 57 Dynamics, ENGR 65 Circuit Theory. See our MESA LAB Flyer on Mechatronics.
  • Official Textbook: De Silva, C.W., Mechatronics--A Foundation Course, CRC Press/Taylor&Francis, Boca Raton, FL, 2010.
  • https://ucmcrops.ucmerced.edu:443/xsl-portal/site/mechatronics (Full syllabus in CROPS)
  • We are designing take-home labs ... (Lab Syllabus in CROPS)
  • We want our students MAD (modeling, analysis and design) ready for whole cycle of building a mechatronics system.
  • Mechatronics @Utah State, @Colorado State
  • Top five wanted topics for ME-142: 1) General automation and control (34/42); 2) Sensor (21/42); 3) Robots (18/42); 4) Programming and simulation (PLC,Matlab,Arduino) (16/42); 5) Circuits (10/42); Spring 2013 week-2 surveyed.
  • Each 75 min. lecture comes with a quiz sheet from beginning of the lecture and submit by the end of lecture. Seriously fun(damental)!
• Fall 2013. ME-280 "Fractional Order Mechanics" - well yes, this is fractional calculus in mechanics. It is related to "Fractional Calculus in Bioengineering" and of course, "Fractional signals and systems" and "Fractional order systems and controls", "Fractional order signal processing" as well as "Distributed Order Dynamic Systems". "Fractional order" in PubMed and ScienceDirect and ieeeXplore. This course is open to and will benefit ALL campus graduates with differenrial equations as the core prerequisite. Undergraduate seniors are able to succeed in this course too.
  • See Dr Chen's seminar slides at AFC@MESALAB@UCMERCED "Fractional Order Mechanics (FOMEch): Why, what and when"; see also his recorded seminar entitled: "All Connected via Fractional Calculus: Power Law, Scale-Free, Heavy-Tailedness, Long Range Dependence, and Complexity due to Fractional Dynamics"
  • Full day pre-conference workshop on FOMech on Aug. 4, 2013, Portland, ASME IDETC/CIE 2013.

MESABox - Getting to real time in (almost) no time at (almost) no cost.

MESABox Apps: More exciting ones are coming.