Description: Introduction to computing; matrix arithmetic, programming constructs, algorithms and graphical visualization using MATLAB; problem solving applications in engineering analysis and design.
Prerequisites: ENGI 1100, MATH 2413 and CHEM 1311 or PHYS 2325
Credit Hours: 3
Course Goals
- to instill students with a problem solving mindset,
- to provide students with a process to solve a variety of engineering problems, and
- to introduce students to programming in MATLAB as a tool to solve engineering problem
Course Topics
- Programming Skills with applications to engineering problems
- Data types: scalars, vectors, matrices, cell arrays, strings, logical arrays, structured variables
- Basic Programming, user inputs, outputs, importing and exporting of various data types (.csv, .txt, .xls, and image file types)
- Built-in functions and User-defined functions
- Conditional structures
- Looping structures (while and for)
- Graphical representation and applications (plotting, regression, imaging)
- Introductory engineering topics: data analysis, numerical analysis, mechanics, resistors, image processing (biomedical), material science
NAE Grand Challenge Project
In this project students investigate an engineering challenge. The National Academy of Engineers has listed 14 Grand Challenges facing our world that need to be understood and solved. These challenges are listed and described here. Four out of these 14 challenges have been elaborated in this course. The first step in solving one of these problems is understanding and being able to identify the problem.
FYE students work in teams on a common topic and effectively communicate the logic, results, and improvements made to investigate a specific NAE Grand Challenge. The goal is to learn and create a MATLAB App using MATLAB App design that allows the user to interact with the data and learn about the grand challenge.
The top groups are selected to present their work at the NAE Grand Challenge Scholars Forum. In the Fall 2020 and Spring 2021, ENGI 1331 students presented projects in the ENGI 1331 FYE Summit.