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“ME 461 Final Project” does not identify one unique build: it can refer to projects from different universities and years. The best-supported course context is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s ME 461, Computer Control of Mechanical Systems. In that course, student teams develop hands-on control projects, but the exact design and requirements depend on the semester.
What “ME 461 Final Project” refers to
ME 461 is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign course Computer Control of Mechanical Systems. Its subject matter includes microcomputer control of thermal and mechanical systems, sensors and transducers, signal conversion and transmission, regulator actuation, microcontroller programming, and control of electromechanical systems.
The title is ambiguous outside that context. Search results also include University of Illinois student showcases and an archived University of Michigan project labeled “ME 461 Final Project.” The title alone does not establish which institution, semester, or student build someone means.
What the Illinois course project involves
In the Fall 2025 syllabus, students choose a final-project topic with partners and use a Texas Instruments TMS320F28379D processor as the controller. That syllabus describes groups of four and assigns the final project 30% of the course grade. These are details of that particular syllabus, not guaranteed requirements for other semesters or courses sharing the ME 461 name.
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The Fall 2025 course schedule places the project across several stages: an introduction, project proposals, prototype reviews, and a final demonstration. Students should use the schedule and syllabus for their own semester for current dates, team rules, grading, and hardware requirements.
Examples of projects
Student showcases illustrate the range of possible builds rather than a single standard assignment. Illinois examples include a Segbot adapted for real-time waypoint navigation and a robot car that rises onto its front wheels while launching a catapult. Other showcases include line-following and sound-following robots, a fruit-collecting robot, and a double spring-mass simulation. The examples span different years; the spring-mass project is from a different university.
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These projects cannot be treated as a definitive list of current options or as evidence of a shared parts list. A suitable design depends on the mechanical system and the control task: what must be sensed, which actuators are needed, and how the microcontroller will interface with them.
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Controller board
The most directly supported hardware search for the Illinois course is the Texas Instruments TMS320F28379D LaunchPad development board. The Fall 2025 syllabus names the F28379D processor, and official course lab materials identify the F28379D LaunchPad in the hardware setup. That connection makes the board relevant to the course context, but it does not establish that every student must personally purchase one. Check the current course instructions and lab access arrangements before buying hardware.
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Background reading
The syllabus lists no required textbook. It includes Introduction to Mechatronic Design by J. Edward Carryer, R. Matthew Ohline, and Thomas W. Kenny as a supplemental reference, alongside other optional references. Treat it as background reading, not a required project purchase.
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How to identify the project you need
- Confirm the institution and semester. Ask whether the reference is to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign course, the University of Michigan archive, or another ME 461 offering.
- Check the matching syllabus and schedule. Use those documents to verify the controller, team size, grading, milestones, and current deadlines rather than relying on a showcase from another year.
- Find the specific project brief or team page. A project name or showcase can identify a build, but the title “ME 461 Final Project” by itself does not give its design or bill of materials.
- Match parts to the control task. Establish the sensing, actuation, mechanical-system, and microcontroller-interface requirements before choosing additional hardware.
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