Overview
Modern life involves more and more interaction with smart products including smartphones, fitness trackers, autonomous cars, virtual assistants like Alexa, electronic medical devices, energy monitors and industrial equipment. To meet user requirements, these products must have aesthetic appeal and must include sensors, embedded computing, communication networks, cloud-based services and an engaging and functional user interface. Smart products gather and manage data and integrate with cloud services to best meet the demands of the modern user. Smart Products are part of the larger Internet of Things (IoT) world, but Smart Products provide the human-centric experiences, behind which lie the Computer, Sensor and Engineering Science technologies. In this way, they can deliver impactful personal and societal benefits in health and wellbeing, energy efficiency and sustainability, environmental protection and future transport.
Industrial partners have guided the course design and development to ensure that it integrates the competencies of the diverse disciplines involved in Smart Product Development and management. This programme enables students to; identify opportunities in the fast-changing marketplace for smart products, develop product requirements, and design and evaluate prototypes.
This programme is designed for students who are keen to combine their technical and creative design ability with the business skills required to achieve commercial success. It employs a project-based approach to teaching and learning in which students focus each semester on developing, prototyping and evaluating product solutions. Course delivery relies heavily on practical, studio-based projects and assessments, giving students the opportunity to combine electronic engineering with manufacturing techniques and design methodologies to develop products and systems to meet customer requirements in a real-life product development setting.