DESIGN 242 : Design and Autonomous Technology
Creative Arts and Industries
2024 Semester One (1243) (15 POINTS)
Course Prescription
Course Overview
In this course, students will learn the fundamentals of robotics and the ways in which robots perceive, act on and think about the world. Students will be encouraged to push the boundaries of what is possible through a series of practical explorations into different aspects of autonomous systems. This learning will lay the groundwork for a final project where students will design, iterate and prototype a system which addresses a local or global context.
The course will introduce different types of robots, autonomous systems and AI and explore how they are used in various industries. Academics from both engineering and design will provide their perspectives, and demonstrate how both disciplines can work together to bring complex ideas into reality.
The students will have the opportunity to expand upon processes and techniques learned in DES100 and DES101 and apply them to robotics and automation.
Capabilities Developed in this Course
| Capability 1: | People and Place |
| Capability 2: | Sustainability |
| Capability 3: | Knowledge and Practice |
| Capability 4: | Critical Thinking |
| Capability 5: | Solution Seeking |
| Capability 6: | Communication |
| Capability 7: | Collaboration |
| Capability 8: | Ethics and Professionalism |
Learning Outcomes
- Demonstrate familiarity with the historical, cultural, economic and political contexts around New Zealand design and autonomous systems. (Capability 1.2, 3.1 and 4.2)
- Demonstrate familiarity with international historical and recent developments in autonomous systems in relation to the development of new interfaces, materials, processes and user experiences. (Capability 3.1 and 4.2)
- Develop an understanding of the application of design tools, methods and processes to a specific industry sector in the development of a new interface, material, process and user experience that utilises autonomous systems. (Capability 3.2, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
- Develop a traditional and/or digital skill-set in addition to requisite autonomous systems skills to convincingly prototype a new interface, material, process and user experience . (Capability 2.1, 3.2, 4.2, 5.1 and 5.2)
- Demonstrate familiarity with presenting work and critiquing the work of others in a studio pedagogical context. (Capability 6.1, 6.2, 7.2, 8.1 and 8.4)
- Demonstrate ability to pitch or succinctly and compellingly present a project. (Capability 6.1, 6.2, 7.2, 8.1 and 8.4)
Assessments
| Assessment Type | Percentage | Classification |
|---|---|---|
| Project Plan | 15% | Individual Coursework |
| Project | 40% | Group Coursework |
| Documentation | 10% | Group Coursework |
| Reflections and Technical Experiments | 35% | Individual Coursework |
| 4 types | 100% |
| Assessment Type | Learning Outcome Addressed | |||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | |||||
| Project Plan | ||||||||||
| Project | ||||||||||
| Documentation | ||||||||||
| Reflections and Technical Experiments | ||||||||||
Teaching & Learning Methods
Workload Expectations
This course is a standard 15-point course and students are expected to spend 12.5 hours per week involved in each 15-point course that they are enrolled in.
For this course, each week you can expect 3 hours of studio-based contact hours, 1 hour of workshops/tutorials, 1 hour of reading and thinking about the content, and 7.5 hours of work on assignments and/or project.
Delivery Mode
Campus Experience
Attendance is required at scheduled activities including studios to complete components of the course.
Studios will not be available as recordings.
The course will not include live online events.
The activities for the course are scheduled as a standard weekly timetable.
Learning Resources
Course materials are made available in a learning and collaboration tool called Canvas which also includes reading lists and lecture recordings (where available).
Please remember that the recording of any class on a personal device requires the permission of the instructor.
BYOD - All students enrolled in a Bachelor of Design or Design conjoint degree should come to class with their own laptop. This is so students will have the core learning tools available in and outside of class. It also means students can increase their independence and have better control of a professional device to stimulate creativity and simplify their design process. Working with a personal laptop during the Design degree will prepare students for the realities of working as a designer after graduation. The highly recommended, recommended, and minimum specifications for a laptop are listed here: https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/creative/current-students/courses/design/courses-design-bring-your-own-device.html.
Part of this course may require additional resources. This may include specialised materials, tooling, hardware, or software. Where possible the programme will supply these items to students at cost price through the CAI shop, however, students also need to be prepared to source these items at their own expense.
Health & Safety
Student Feedback
At the end of every semester students will be invited to give feedback on the course and teaching through a tool called SET or Qualtrics. The lecturers and course co-ordinators will consider all feedback and respond with summaries and actions.
Your feedback helps teachers to improve the course and its delivery for future students.
Class Representatives in each class can take feedback to the department and faculty staff-student consultative committees.
- Having the freedom to pitch a proposal and work on it for a project,
- The videos on different types of robots,
- Being hands-on with the robots and working as a group on the assignments.
- Clarified the assessments, including providing briefs and marking rubrics for all assessments at the start of the course,
- Streamlining the lectures, so they line up better with the assignments,
- Additional support around the technical aspects of the robots (including more programming practice).
Other Information
Attendance is expected at all studio sessions, as these sessions provide the hands-on components of the course. During the second half of the semester, they are also used to provide guidance and support for the team projects.
Academic Integrity
The University of Auckland will not tolerate cheating, or assisting others to cheat, and views cheating in coursework as a serious academic offence. The work that a student submits for grading must be the student's own work, reflecting their learning. Where work from other sources is used, it must be properly acknowledged and referenced. This requirement also applies to sources on the internet. A student's assessed work may be reviewed for potential plagiarism or other forms of academic misconduct, using computerised detection mechanisms.
Class Representatives
Class representatives are students tasked with representing student issues to departments, faculties, and the wider university. If you have a complaint about this course, please contact your class rep who will know how to raise it in the right channels. See your departmental noticeboard for contact details for your class reps.
Inclusive Learning
All students are asked to discuss any impairment related requirements privately, face to face and/or in written form with the course coordinator, lecturer or tutor.
Student Disability Services also provides support for students with a wide range of impairments, both visible and invisible, to succeed and excel at the University. For more information and contact details, please visit the Student Disability Services’ website http://disability.auckland.ac.nz
Special Circumstances
If your ability to complete assessed coursework is affected by illness or other personal circumstances outside of your control, contact a member of teaching staff as soon as possible before the assessment is due.
If your personal circumstances significantly affect your performance, or preparation, for an exam or eligible written test, refer to the University’s aegrotat or compassionate consideration page https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/academic-information/exams-and-final-results/during-exams/aegrotat-and-compassionate-consideration.html.
This should be done as soon as possible and no later than seven days after the affected test or exam date.
https://www.forms.auckland.ac.nz/en/student/creative-arts-and-industries/design-programme-extension-of-time-application-form.html
Students should notify the Course Director/Course Coordinator of their situation as soon as practicable, and preferably before any due date. Notifications received after an assessment due date will be accepted, where this is reasonable, within the context of the course. If possible, students are encouraged to seek medical, counselling or other support from the most appropriate sources.
No extensions will be granted for problems such as accidentally erased computer files, which should always be prevented by keeping backup copies.
Learning Continuity
In the event of an unexpected disruption we undertake to maintain the continuity and standard of teaching and learning in all your courses throughout the year. If there are unexpected disruptions the University has contingency plans to ensure that access to your course continues and your assessment is fair, and not compromised. Some adjustments may need to be made in emergencies. You will be kept fully informed by your course co-ordinator, and if disruption occurs you should refer to the University Website for information about how to proceed.
Student Charter and Responsibilities
The Student Charter assumes and acknowledges that students are active participants in the learning process and that they have responsibilities to the institution and the international community of scholars. The University expects that students will act at all times in a way that demonstrates respect for the rights of other students and staff so that the learning environment is both safe and productive. For further information visit Student Charter https://www.auckland.ac.nz/en/students/forms-policies-and-guidelines/student-policies-and-guidelines/student-charter.html.
Disclaimer
Elements of this outline may be subject to change. The latest information about the course will be available for enrolled students in Canvas.
In this course students may be asked to submit coursework assessments digitally. The University reserves the right to conduct scheduled tests and examinations for this course online or through the use of computers or other electronic devices. Where tests or examinations are conducted online remote invigilation arrangements may be used. In exceptional circumstances changes to elements of this course may be necessary at short notice. Students enrolled in this course will be informed of any such changes and the reasons for them, as soon as possible, through Canvas.