Educational Frameworks for Vehicle Mechatronics

One of the basis of the development in future intelligent transportation systems is the vehicle itself, whose provided features and communication possibilities are continuously expanding. One of the main areas in development of the vehicle of the future is mechatronics. Teaching this topic is a complex challenge because of the multidisciplinary nature of the topic. On the other hand, the requirements of the smart city or the smart mobility of the future demand complex solutions from next generation of engineers. The topics include electrical, mechanical engineering, control theory, and information and communications technology, in which fields the students must deepen their knowledge. Tasks and solving problems in mechatronics require cognitive and operational knowledge and practical experience in systems design and analysis. There is a strong demand for project-based teaching using certain kinds of practical material. This paper presents two educational frameworks designed for students with a specialization in vehicle mechatronics. Both are aimed at the emulation of real vehicle behaviors: the first is on the electric control unit level, whereas the second is on the vehicle level.