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Bulletin Archive

This archived information is dated to the 2008-09 academic year only and may no longer be current.

For currently applicable policies and information, see the current Stanford Bulletin.

Mechanical Engineering Introductory Courses

In this section:

ME 10N. Form and Function of Animal Skeletons

ME 17N. Robotics Imitating Nature

ME 18Q. Teamology: Creative Teams and Individual Development

ME 21N. Renaissance Machine Design

ME 25N. Global Warming and Climate Change: Fact or Fiction

ME 26N. Think Like a Designer

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Stanford Introductory Seminars (IDS, ISF, ISS) Courses

ME 10N. Form and Function of Animal Skeletons

(F,Sem) Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to freshmen. The biomechanics and mechanobiology of the musculoskeletal system in human beings and other vertebrates on the level of the whole organism, organ systems, tissues, and cell biology. Field trips to labs. GER:DB-EngrAppSci

3 units, Win (Carter, D)

ME 17N. Robotics Imitating Nature

(F,Sem) Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to freshmen. The dream of constructing robots that duplicate the functional abilities of humans and/or other animals has been promulgated primarily by science fiction writers. But biological systems provide models for the designers of robots. Building electromechanical devices that perform locomotory and sensing functions similar to those of an animal as a way of learning about how biological systems function. Walking and running machines, and the problem of giving a robot the capability to respond to its environment. GER:DB-EngrAppSci

3 units, Spr (Waldron, K)

ME 18Q. Teamology: Creative Teams and Individual Development

(S,Sem) Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to sophomores. Roles on a problem solving team that best suit individual creative characteristics. Two teams are formed for teaching experientially how to develop less conscious abilities from teammates creative in those roles. Reinforcement teams have members with similar personalities; problem solving teams are composed of people with maximally different personalities.

3 units, Aut (Wilde, D)

ME 21N. Renaissance Machine Design

(F,Sem) Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to freshmen. Technological innovations of the 1400s that accompanied the proliferation of monumental art and architecture by Brunelleschi, da Vinci, and others who designed machines and invented novel construction, fresco, and bronze-casting techniques. The social and political climate, from the perspective of a machine designer, that made possible and demanded engineering expertise from prominent artists. Hands-on projectsto provide a physical understanding of Renaissance-era engineering challenges and introduce the pleasure of creative engineering design. Technical background not required. GER:DB-EngrAppSci

3 units, Spr (Cutkosky, M)

ME 25N. Global Warming and Climate Change: Fact or Fiction

(F,Sem) Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to freshmen. Scientific arguments concerning debates between the view that anthropogenic activities are not causing global warming versus the view that these activities are responsible for a global warming that results in significant climate change. Consequences of increased demand for energy. Prerequisites: high school physics, chemistry, and biology.

3 units, Win (Bowman, C)

ME 26N. Think Like a Designer

(F,Sem) Stanford Introductory Seminar. Preference to freshmen. Techniques designers use to create innovative solutions across domains. Project-based. Emphasis is on approaches to problem identification and problem solving. Topics include need finding, structured brainstorming, synthesis, rapid prototyping, and visual communication. Field trips to a local design firm, a robotics lab, and a machining lab. The pleasures of creative design and hands-on development of tangible solutions.

3 units, Aut (Banerjee, S)

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