A remote bike lock alarm system and a self-playing guitar are two student projects that have come to life in a course called Mechatronics and Measurement Systems.

CSU’s Mechatronics Lab supports student projects involving electrical circuits, power supplies and microcontrollers.

“Mechatronics means ‘mecha’ – that’s moving parts – mechanical systems – and ‘tronics’ – electronics,” says mechanical engineering associate professor David Alciatore. “[The students] have to build systems that integrate all of that, and control it in a smart way, with software running on a chip.”