Benjamin Finio is a lecturer in the Sibley School of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering at Cornell University, where he teaches MAE 3780: Mechatronics. Dr. Finio has a B.S. in mechanical engineering from Bucknell University and a Ph.D. in Engineering Sciences from Harvard University, where he completed his thesis on the “Robobee” project in the Harvard Microrobotics Lab. He has experience teaching students of all ages, both online and in person, as well as designing electronics and robotics kits for both K-12 and college-level curricula. In addition to teaching at Cornell, Dr. Finio works for a science education website (Science Buddies), where he has written for Scientific American and made educational YouTube videos that have been viewed millions of times by people around the globe.
Building and Analyzing a Basic CircuitCornell Course
Course Overview
In this course, you will receive a blend of introductory information and practical hands-on experience to orient you to the world of mechatronics. You will design, assemble, and analyze your own simple circuits. You will also learn to set up a microcontroller, which will provide you with tools to use for the rest of the courses. This introduction to circuits and their basic functionality will provide a solid base for you to grow, both throughout this certificate program and beyond.
In order to complete the activities in this course, you must be able to download and install the Arduino IDE on your computer. The kit purchased as part of this certificate program will provide you with the physical materials you will need to complete your assignments. You will need to provide your own computer.
This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and microcontrollers at a cost of around $600.
Key Course Takeaways
- Build circuits with Arduino
- Assemble a basic circuit
- Analyze and measure a circuits
- Design a simple circuit and a voltage divider
How It Works
Course Author
Who Should Enroll
- Engineers (mechanical, software, civil, systems, chemical, biomedical)
- Robotics and automation technicians
- Programmers and computer scientists
- Technology researchers
- High school teachers
- Hobbyists
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