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Physical Computing, Minor

Physical Computing Minor

Kelly Delaney, Advisor
kellydel@andrew.cmu.edu
https://ideate.cmu.edu 

Overview

Physical computing is driven by a creative combination of arts and engineering disciplines. Our students’ projects interact with their surroundings, remember information, make decisions, and generate tangible outputs like movement, sound, or light.

Physical computing projects range from the tiny and plain (a blinking light on a breadboard) to the extravagant (a simulation of an alien landscape), and everything in between. They may be functional, like an assistive device for a person with disability, playful, like an interactive marble run, or exploratory, like a prototype for a future human-computer interface in a world of sentient machines.

Students in the Physical Computing minor gain a broad range of skills in our courses because physical computing as a field is fundamentally interdisciplinary: our projects combine software, electronics, and physical fabrication.

Learn how to:
  • Write low-level software to computationally define a project’s behavior, usually using C or Python
  • Fabricate projects using techniques borrowed from various crafts and disciplines (mechanics, textiles, woodworking, etc.)
  • Design, test, assemble, and debug electronic circuits to bring a project to life
  • Use 3D computer-aided design (CAD) for visualization, simulation, and fabrication
  • Combine digital fabrication techniques (3D printing, laser cutting, etc.) with hand craft to iterate towards creating a final, polished product

The Physical Computing minor is offered through a collaboration between IDeATe and the Robotics Institute, bringing together expertise from across the university.

Curriculum

Physical Computing MinorMinimum of 45 Units
One Computing Course - Minimum of 9 Units
Units
15-104Introduction to Computing for Creative Practice10
15-110Principles of Computing10
15-112Fundamentals of Programming and Computer Science12
60-212Intermediate Studio: Creative Coding12
One IDeATe Portal Course - Minimum of 9 Units
60-223IDeATe: Introduction to Physical Computing10
16-223IDeATe Portal: Creative Kinetic Systems10
IDeATe Physical Computing Courses - Minimum of 27 Units
15-294Rapid Prototyping Technologies5
15-394Intermediate Rapid Prototyping5
16/54-375IDeATe: Robotics for Creative Practice10
16-376IDeATe: Kinetic Fabrics10
16-480IDeATe: Creative Soft Robotics10
18-578Mechatronic Design12
24-672Special Topics in DIY Design and Fabrication12
62-423IDeATe Inclusive Design Studio: From Interview to Product w Physical Computing10
62-478IDeATe: digiTOOL9
Additional course options as available. Please refer to the IDeATe website for courses for the current and upcoming semester. 
Double-Counting

Students may double-count up to two of their Physical Computing minor courses toward requirements for other majors and minors.

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