Project 1

Teacher(s)

Pecheur Charles; Ronsse Renaud; Soares Frazao Sandra (coordinator);

Language

French

Main themes

The first part of the project consists of a pre-project (P0) and aims, during the first week, to introduce students to university work and prepare them for teamwork.
The P1 project aims to enable each student to acquire the essential characteristics of the various professions practiced by engineers and more particularly in the design of systems by following a systematic approach. The student will thus better understand the methodological and disciplinary objectives pursued during his studies.
The second objective of the P1 project is to introduce students to the methodological aspects of project work and collaborative work.
The third objective of P1 aims to apply disciplinary concepts worked in the disciplines of the first semester and which are involved in the design of a mechanical system.
Finally, the P1 project will allow students to approach technical drawing on the computer as well as prototyping by exploiting the possibilities offered by 3D printers.

Learning outcomes

At the end of this learning unit, the student is able to :

At the end of the course the students will be able to: to use technical drawing (by hand) as a design and communication tool: 2D plan and simple perspectives (cavalier and axonometric); to build a kinematic model of a mobile robot, to compute internal efforts of a simplified robot model, to measure torques and internal frictions, to measure power and work produced by robot motors, to establish a balance of electrical and mechanical energy; to develop and test a JAVA program that allows the robot to perform, at scale, arbitrary manoeuvers and trajectories. With regard to the AA reference of the program "Bachelor in Engineering Sciences, orientation civil engineer", this course contributes to the development, acquisition and evaluation of learning outcomes.following: AA1.1, AA1.1 AA2.1, AA2.2, AA2.3, AA2.4, AA2.5, AA2.6 AA3.1, AA3.2 AA4.1, AA4.2, AA4.3, AA4.4,AA4.5 AA5.2, AA5.3, AA5.4, AA5.5 The project aims at developing the following cross-cutting skills: Working in team to carry through an engineering-type project. Carrying a multi-disciplinary project. Exercising scientific research practices. Communicate verbally in an efficient manner. Communicate in writing in an efficient manner. Self-appraise with respect to target training objectives in order to progress.

Content

The project is carried out in teams of about 6 students. It aims to design a mechanically propelled device (one that rolls, flies, or floats), model and simulate its behavior, build and test it, while encouraging students to reflect on the implications of their design choices in terms of resource use, sustainability, and energy efficiency.
With regard to sustainable design, at the start of the project, students will create a “climate mural” to raise their awareness of socio-ecological issues through a qualitative analysis of the indirect environmental impacts resulting from the introduction of a technology into society. They will attend an introductory seminar on life cycle analysis led by industry professionals, which will guide them in quantifying the direct environmental impacts of a technological product or service.
The vehicle designed by the students will be built using standard mechanical parts, recycled components in a “low-tech” spirit, and parts produced via 3D prototyping to introduce them to technical drawing and mechanical manufacturing. The device’s performance will then be compared to numerical simulations so that students can evaluate the consequences of modeling assumptions and understand the differences between simulations based on theoretical concepts and reality in all its complexity.
In practice, the project will consist of the following steps:

• A preliminary project (P0) to familiarize participants with the project approach over the course of one week;
• The creation of a climate mural and participation in an introductory seminar on life cycle analysis;
• The construction of the vehicle based on a design developed according to specifications and technical drawings;
• Physical modeling of the vehicle’s motion;
• Construction of a scale model incorporating parts produced via 3D printing based on precise blueprints;
• A numerical simulation implemented in Python, based on the physical model;
• Preparation of clear, illustrated presentations to explain the vehicle’s behavior;
• Preparation of a summary to be presented orally.

Teaching methods

This project is unique in terms of its duration (one quadrimester) and the opportunity it provides to integrate knowledge and skills. The project aims to contextualize, integrate, and apply the material taught during the same quadrimester. A preliminary project (P0) will be organized during the first week to introduce students to project management and teamwork.
The program will draw heavily on the principles of the flipped classroom, with resources made available on Moodle and group work based on assigned tasks. A weekly class session will be held to answer students’ questions. A tutor will meet with the student teams each week to review progress.
In addition, this project addresses issues related to sustainable development and the energy transition through the following activities:

• A session dedicated to creating a climate mural;
• An introductory seminar led by external guests who are experts in the fields of sustainable design and life cycle analysis.

Evaluation methods

The language of assessment for this course is French.
Students’ learning outcomes are assessed during a group oral presentation, accompanied by a concise visual aid. In addition, an individual exam evaluates the skills and knowledge acquired in relation to the disciplinary concepts used in the project.
The final grade for the project consists of:

• A group grade: presentation before the exam committee during the exam session and ongoing assessment by the instructor;
• An individual project grade: an individual written exam during the exam session.

The group grade normally accounts for 3/4 of the final grade, and the individual grade for 1/4. However, if the individual grade is too low (< 10/20), the weighting will be adjusted to give it greater weight.
In the event of a problem with a student in a group, the instructors may assign that student a group grade lower than that of the rest of the group. In extreme cases where a student’s individual contribution is deemed insufficient by the teaching team, that student may be excluded from their group, and their group grade will then be 0, with no opportunity to retake this portion of the work during the second exam session, in accordance with Article 78 of the RGEE.
In the event of failure, each student will have the opportunity to retake only the individual portion of the project assessment during the June and September sessions. The rule regarding individual grades stated above remains in effect in June. In September, the final grade is the higher of either a 3/4 team and 1/4 individual grade or a 1/2-1/2 split.
Students excluded from their group will have to repeat the project during the following academic year.

Other information

The use of generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools is tolerated as long as they are used responsibly and in accordance with academic and scientific integrity practices. In particular, the student is required to systematically indicate all parties having used AI, e.g. in a footnote specifying whether AI was used to search for information, to draft the text or to correct it. Furthermore, sources of information must be systematically cited while respecting bibliographic referencing standards. The student also remains responsible for the content of his or her production, regardless of the sources used.

Teaching materials

• Toutes les ressources documentaires du projet sont disponibles sur Moodle.

Faculty or entity

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