The Engineering Course that's Future-Proof

If you’re looking for an engineering degree that allows you to move across industries, a major in Robotics and Mechatronics (R&M) may just be what you need. Swinburne University of Technology Sarawak Campus’ Bachelor of Engineering (Honours) degree in robotics and mechatronics is the convergence of robotics, mechanical, and electronics engineering. It combines the best of these three disciplines. It is widely known that robots are computer-controlled mechanical and electronic devices. While most have been deployed in manufacturing such as the automobile industry, robots are today increasingly used in a variety of applications including space and underwater exploration, medicine and a wide range of service industries.

The discipline of robotics embraces the design and operation of these devices and their integration with other systems in the work environment. As for mechatronics, it is the integration of three traditional engineering disciplines - mechanical, electronics and software. Mechatronic engineers design and build systems for use in a range of industries including manufacturing, medicine and the service industries. Examples of mechatronic systems include aircraft, automobiles, automated plant and robots, and the oil and gas industries. R&M graduates can use their multidisciplinary skills to meet the growing demand from an industry that is pushing the limits of technology by exploiting the growing convergence of these fields.

“A good example of the convergence of technology is the car industry. Where they were purely a mechanical platform in the past, vehicles now come off the production line fitted with electronic displays, computer aided systems and even GPS,” said Dr Almon Chai, the robotics and mechatronics course coordinator at Swinburne Sarawak’s campus in Kuching. “Added to this scenario is the race for better and safer hybrid cars powered by battery and fuel, as well as practical and safer electric cars that employ sensors for added safety.” All this means that apart from mechanical engineers, the automobile industry is looking to employ experts in robotics, electronics, information technology and the like, said Chai, a senior lecturer at the only international university branch campus of Swinburne in Melbourne, Australia. “This works in favour of R&M graduates who could also take up careers in other industries.

Robotics, airlines, chemical industries, automotive, appliance manufacturing, industrial research, and oil and gas are some of them. “They could contribute to these industries in a variety of roles such as design engineers, project planners, product designers and project managers,” he said. In contrast to other similar programs in the market, Swinburne Sarawak’s R&M degree program has a high practical component. “It’s very much a hands-on program especially at the beginning where students apply the theories they learnt in class,” said Chai. “On the whole, as much as 60% of the content in our engineering programs involves practical work in the workshop, lab or in the field. We believe this is necessary in order to prepare them for the industry.”

The achievement of its students may be a reflection of the effectiveness of this approach. And, Swinburne Sarawak engineering students are no strangers to making the news over the years. In the Microsoft Imagine Cup 2014 competition, a team of R&M students took first-runner up in the World Citizenship category for a small lifestyle-complementing robot designed from the bottom up. It could communicate with a Microsoft operating-system based smartphone. Among others it could set alarms and appointments as well as video recording its surroundings.

At the Innovate Malaysia Design Competition 2016, Swinburne Sarawak students took first prize in the Intel track for an intelligent parking system that uses smartphones with Near-Field Communication protocol. Another Swinburne team also won for their “Autonomous oil palm loose fruit collector”, a wheelbarrow-mounted robotic arm that could pick up scattered oil palm fruit from the ground. Graduates from the university are highly sought by industry. According to its tracer studies in the past few years, more than 90% are absorbed by companies six months after graduation. As Swinburne Sarawak offers courses identical to those of its home campus in Melbourne, graduates are awarded the same internationally recognised Australian parchment.

The R&M programme is professionally accredited by the Engineering Accreditation Council Malaysia and Engineers Australia. Its graduates are eligible to apply for membership of Engineers Australia as well as Graduate Membership of Board of Engineers Malaysia. Swinburne Sarawak is now receiving applications from students all over Malaysia for the March foundation intake.

The March foundation programme is the fastest way for students to start their degree program in 2018 in the fields of engineering, business, computing, design and science. Students may apply online at www.swinburne.edu.my For more information, please call 082-415 353 , email [email protected] or chat with us during office hours on our website and Facebook