16-220 Robot Building Practices
12 units, Carnegie Mellon University
This course is designed to provide students with a comprehensive set of mechanical and electronics skills required for designing, prototyping, building, and troubleshooting robotic systems. Students will learn about basic robotic components and how to obtain, build, or fix them to create functional robotic systems. The course will cover mechanical skills specific to robotics, including sketching, 3D CAD modeling, 3D printing, laser cutting and other machine shop tools. Students will also learn the fundamentals of circuit design, breadboarding, and PCB layout using CAD tools, as well as how to use measurement equipment and soldering techniques. They will gain hands-on experience with motor controllers and microcontrollers, essential components for controlling robots. The class project will give students the opportunity to learn how to design and implement power transmission systems and prototype mechanical components required in building a functional robotic module and later a full robotic system. The course will include robot-specific topics such as kinematics, robot actuators, sensors, and perception algorithms. Upon completion of this course, students will have a solid foundation in electronics and mechanical prototyping for robotics and be able to create innovative robots for a variety of applications.
Prerequisites: 15-122 (min C) and (33-141 (min C) or 33-121 (min C))
Offered: Fall 2026, Fall 2025
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