Education

Becoming a great designer/engineer means learning to meld invention, engineering common sense, engineering science and hands-on fabrication/measurement skills to create parts/products/systems that solve real problems. Every class taught by Prof. Culpepper is tuned to teach these skills:

Spring: 2.72/2.720 Elements of Mechanical Design - 2024 syllabus
Advanced study of modeling, design, integration, and best practices for use of machine elements, such as bearings, bolts, belts, flexures, and gears. Modeling and analysis is based upon rigorous application of physics, mathematics, and core mechanical engineering principles, which are reinforced via laboratory experiences and a design project in which students model, design, fabricate, and characterize a mechanical system that is relevant to a real-world application. Activities and quizzes are directly related to, and coordinated with, the project deliverables. Develops the ability to synthesize, model and fabricate a design subject to engineering constraints (e.g., cost, time, schedule).

Fall:2.145/2.147 Design of Compliant Mechanisms, Machines and Systems - 2023 syllabus
Design, modeling and integration of compliance into systems that enable performance which is impractical to obtain via rigid mechanisms. Students learn multiple strategies (pseudo-rigid body modeling, topology synthesis, freedom and constraint topology) to engineer high-performance compliant mechanisms . Emphasis is placed upon the use of 1st principles to optimize kinematics, stiffness, power, load capacity, dynamics, efficiency and integration with actuation/sensing. Students apply the preceding to synthesize concepts, optimize them via computational models, and test prototypes . Problem sets and projects are drawn from biological systems, prosthetics, energy harvesting, precision instrumentation, robotics and others.

Other classes that Professor Culpepper has taught at MIT in the past:

Design

2.145/2.147 Design of Compliant Mechanisms, Machines and Systems
2.72/2.720 - Elements of Mechanical Design (Slocum away on sabbatical)
2.70/2.77 - 2.70 FUNdaMENTALS of Precision Product Design (Slocum away on sabbatical)
2.75 - 2.75[J] Medical Device Design (Slocum away on sabbatical)
2.76 - Multi-Scale System Design
2.009 - Product Engineering Processes

Fabrication & Manufacturing:

2.000 - How and Why Things Work
2.351 - 2.351[J] Introduction to Making 
2.008 - 2.008 Design and Manufacturing II
2.810 - 2.810 Manufacturing Processes and Systems

Mechanics

2.001 - 2.001 Mechanics and Materials I