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EngineeringYear 1Quality review 0/4

Engineering Foundations: Design, Systems and Safety

A first-year introduction to responsible engineering practice, from defining a need and modelling forces to choosing materials, prototyping circuits and communicating a tested design.

≈ 20 h 16 min10 sections · 38 lessonsNo ratings yet
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What you'll learn

  • Translate a human need into measurable engineering requirements
  • Use free-body diagrams, conservation laws and simple circuit models
  • Choose materials and energy systems using evidence and life-cycle thinking
  • Plan safe tests, analyse uncertainty and communicate a defensible design

Before you start

  • Grade 12 Mathematics or equivalent
  • Grade 12 Physical Sciences or equivalent

Academic references

Use the latest available edition and your institution's prescribed text.

  • Hibbeler, Engineering Mechanics: Statics
  • Alexander and Sadiku, Fundamentals of Electric Circuits
  • Ulrich, Eppinger and Yang, Product Design and Development

Formal work standard

  • Translate stakeholder needs into measurable requirements.
  • Declare assumptions, safety factors, standards, and model limitations.
  • Verify against specifications and validate with representative users.

Course content

0/38 lessons
1. Foundations and Models4 lessons
  1. The Engineering Design CycleLesson44 min
  2. Requirements, Constraints and Trade-offsLesson44 min
  3. Sketches, Drawings and UnitsLesson44 min
  4. Forces, Moments and EquilibriumLesson44 min
2. Applications and Decisions4 lessons
  1. Materials and FailureLesson44 min
  2. Circuits, Sensors and ControlLesson44 min
  3. Energy, Efficiency and ResilienceLesson44 min
  4. Testing, Risk, Ethics and the CapstoneLesson44 min
3. Needs, Systems and Concepts4 lessons
  1. Stakeholders and Need FindingLesson38 min
  2. Systems Thinking and BoundariesLesson38 min
  3. Functional DecompositionLesson38 min
  4. Generating Design ConceptsLesson38 min
4. Concept Selection and Mechanics Fundamentals4 lessons
  1. Evidence-Based Concept SelectionLesson32 min
  2. Verification and ValidationLesson32 min
  3. Units and Dimensional AnalysisLesson32 min
  4. Free-Body DiagramsLesson32 min
5. Structures, Materials and Manufacturing4 lessons
  1. Trusses and Load PathsLesson32 min
  2. Stress, Strain and StiffnessLesson32 min
  3. Failure Modes and Safety FactorsLesson32 min
  4. Manufacturing ProcessesLesson32 min
6. Circuits, Measurement and Sensing4 lessons
  1. Measurement and UncertaintyLesson32 min
  2. DC Circuit AnalysisLesson32 min
  3. Electronic ComponentsLesson32 min
  4. Sensors and CalibrationLesson32 min
7. Actuation, Control and Energy4 lessons
  1. Actuators and DrivesLesson32 min
  2. Feedback and ControlLesson32 min
  3. Energy StorageLesson32 min
  4. Reliability and MaintainabilityLesson32 min
8. Reliability, Data and Standards4 lessons
  1. Failure Modes and Effects AnalysisLesson32 min
  2. Experimental DesignLesson32 min
  3. Engineering Data AnalysisLesson32 min
  4. Standards and Safe PracticeLesson32 min
9. Life-Cycle, Planning and Capstone4 lessons
  1. Life-Cycle ThinkingLesson32 min
  2. Engineering Project PlanningLesson32 min
  3. Capstone: Integrating the DesignLesson32 min
  4. Professional Communication and ReviewLesson32 min
10. Economics and Human Factors2 lessons
  1. Engineering EconomicsLesson32 min
  2. Human Factors and AccessibilityLesson32 min