Master of Engineering (MEng)

MEng Mechatronic Engineering

Explore the world of robotics and gain the UK's top engineering undergraduate award, securing the base for chartered status.

  • Duration: 4 years
  • Year of entry: 2025
  • UCAS course code: HHH6 / Institution code: M20
  • Key features:
  • Scholarships available
  • Accredited course

Full entry requirementsHow to apply

Fees and funding

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2025 will be £9,535 per annum (subject to Parliamentary approval). Tuition fees for international students will be £34,000 per annum. For general information please see the undergraduate finance pages.

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

The University of Manchester is committed to attracting and supporting the very best students. We have a focus on nurturing talent and ability and we want to make sure that you have the opportunity to study here, regardless of your financial circumstances.

For information about scholarships and bursaries please visit our undergraduate student finance pages and our Department funding pages .

Course unit details:
Applied Control and Autonomous Systems

Course unit fact file
Unit code EEEN40122
Credit rating 15
Unit level Level 6
Teaching period(s) Semester 2
Available as a free choice unit? No

Overview

1) Applied Control

1.1 Introduction

1.2 Actuators and sensors

1.3 Kinematics, path planning, and trajectory tracking

1.4 Dynamics

1.5 Advanced control for path planning and trajectory tracking

1.6 Applications using digital twin and physical twin.

 

2) Autonomous Systems

2.1 Introduction to probabilities

2.2 Introduction to autonomous systems

2.3 Uncertainty propagation in autonomous systems

2.4 Map-based localisation

2.5 Mapping

2.6 Introduction to SLAM (Simultaneous Localisation and Mapping)

2.7 Reactive navigation

2.8 Path-planning

2.9 Applications using digital twin and physical twin.

Pre/co-requisites

Unit title Unit code Requirement type Description
Control Systems II EEEN30231 Pre-Requisite Recommended
Linear Systems Theory EEEN40221 Pre-Requisite Compulsory
To select Unit EEEN40122, you need to have selected EEEN30231 Control Systems II in your 3rd year OR select EEEN40221 Linear Systems Theory in your 4th Year.

Aims

The aim of this course if to enable the students to solve real life problems and be prepared for the multi-trillion job market in Control Systems and Autonomous Systems. To make this a reality, this course is addressed in a different manner. The students will have access to a mobile robot for the whole duration of the course, i.e., one robot-one student. The idea of "the lab in a robot" is to stimulate the students to use their imagination and creativity anytime and anywhere, in their own time and not to be restriced by the access to the lab equipment.

Learning outcomes

ILO1 - Summarise the main levels of autonomy in mobile robotics, evaluate the uncertainties and how they propagate between the levels of sutonomy and illustrate them with examples. (Developed and assessed).

ILO2 - Describe different strategies for localisation, mapping, navigation, and path-planning and assess the benefits and limitations of different proprioceptive and exteroceptive sensors. (Developed and assessed).

ILO3 - Design and implement nonlinear control algorithms for mobile robot navigation. (Developed and assessed).

ILO4 - Analyse, evaluate and implement in Python the algorithms for complex robotic applications, simulated and real mobile robots i.e., for digital twin and for physical twin. (Developed and assessed).

ILO5 - Evaluate the environmental and societal impact of complex control systems. (Developed and assessed).

ILO6 - Reflect the effectiveness of individual and teamwork. (Developed and assessed).

Assessment methods

Method Weight
Other 50%
Written exam 50%

Written Examination (50%)

2 hours, four questions, answer all questions.

Lab and Coursework Assignments (50%)

Report and movie presentation. CW Report 1 15%, CW Report 2 15%, movie submision for team assessments 20%.

Feedback methods

Written Exam

Feedback is provided after exam board.

Lab and Coursework Assignments

Simulation based using the digital twin. Hardware based using the physical twin. .   

Recommended reading

For Applied Control

1. K. Astrom and T. Hagglund, "PID Controllers: Theory, Design and Tuning", 2nd edition.

2. V.I. Utkin, "Sliding modes and their application in variable structure systems", 1978.

3. E. Slotine and W. Li, "Applied Nonlinear Control", Prentice-Hall, 1991.

4. L.Ljung, "System identification. Theory for the user", 1987.

For Autonomous Systems:

1. R. Siegwart and I. R. Nourbakhsh, Introduction to Autonomous Mobile Robots, 1st ed. Cambridge, Massachusetts: The MIT Press, 2004. 

2. Mustafa Abdalla Mustafa, M, 2017. Guaranteed slam an interval approach. [PhD thesis] Manchester: University of Manchester.

3. Bruno Siciliano and Oussama Khatib. 2007. Springer Handbook of Robotics. Springer-Verlag New York.

4. S Thrun, W Burgard and D Fox, Probabilisitc robots, MIT press, 2005. 93

5. IM Rekleitis, A particle filter tutorial for mobile robot localization trcim-04-02, Centre for Intelligent Machines (2003)

Study hours

Scheduled activity hours
Lectures 30
Practical classes & workshops 12
Tutorials 6
Independent study hours
Independent study 102

Teaching staff

Staff member Role
Alexandru Stancu Unit coordinator

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