University of Michigan

ENGR 100-600

Intro to Engineering, Underwater Vehicle Design

Week 1

Announcements
Welcome! We're glad to have you in ENGR 100-600! We're getting the website ready for the Winter 2026 term. Check back a couple days before class starts and there should be some stuff here. :)
Past semesters' websites are linked above so you can look at those if you want to get a feel for how the course is generally run. Note: The Winter 2026 course will look most similar to the Fall 2025 course in terms of weekly work, labs, project assignments, and the ROV Showcase, but there will be some changes (e.g. perhaps some different topics or due dates for assignments). See the note to the right about the Schedule of Topics for the Winter 2026 semester.
No textbooks are required for this course. We will provide all the course material that will be used in the course.
Things to know about ENGR 100-600 Winter 2026
Lecture. There are two lectures per week. Lectures are in person and attendance is required.
Discussion. Discussions are in person, and attendance is required. You must attend the discussion that you are registered for.
Lab. Labs are in person, and attendance is required. You must attend the lab that you are registered for.
ROV Showcase. A mandatory ROV Showcase will take place on Saturday, April 11. If you cannot commit to this showcase, you should not take this section of ENGR 100.
Schedule of Topics. Scroll down to see the schedule of topics for this semester along with due dates for assignments. This schedule is subject to change between now and the start of classes, so maybe don't put these due dates into your calendar quite yet.
Start of the Semester

Our first lecture will be Thursday, January 8th. Discussions and Labs will start the following week.

Scroll down to the Schedule of Topics for more details!

Professor Office Hours

Coming Soon!

Professor office hours will start after the semester begins, so check back then for times to come see us!

IA Office Hours

Coming Soon!

IA office hours will start after the semester begins, so check back then for times to come see us!

Course Essentials

Syllabus

Updated syllabus will be added soon!

Global Flotation Laboratories (GFL) Employee Handbook

Updated handbook will be added soon!

People

Updated course staff list will be added soon!

Technical Content

Reference material for the technical aspects of the course.

Communication Content

Reference material for the communication aspects of the course, including templates for presentations and reports.

The ROV Project

Background Content

Reference material for the technical aspects of the ROV project.


More information will be posted here as we get into the ROV Project!

Project Timeline

Feb 2

Individual Design Proposal

Feb 9

Preliminary Design Review

Feb 16

ROV Design Selection Presentation

Feb 23

Detailed Design Review Presentation

Mar 16

Critical Design Review Presentation

Apr 10

Final Presentation

Apr 11

ROV Showcase at MHL

Apr 20

Innovation Video

Apr 22

Final Report

Schedule of Topics

Week 1

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
No lecture No discussion No labs
Lecture 1: First Day! Design-Build-Test-Communicate

Week 2

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 1 Due
Lecture 2: The ROV Project Discussion 1: Intros, audience, emails Lab 1: Orientation & ROVs
Lecture 3: Topic TBA

Week 3

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
MLK Day Symposium Events Homework 2 Due
Lecture 4: Intro to ROV Hydrodynamics and Controls Discussion 2: Memo Frontmatter Lab 2: Controls & Hydrodynamics
Lecture 5: The Individual Design Proposal
Tandem Beginning of Term Survey Due

Week 4

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 3 Due
Lecture 6: ROVs in the Real World, Technical Prose, Visuals Discussion 3: Memo Body and IDP Check-In Lab 3: 3D Modeling
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 7: Guest Lecture on Prototyping in the Real World, Hydrodynamic Stability

Week 5

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 4 Due
Individual Design Proposal Due
Lecture 8: Meet Your Team; Visuals, Presentations, Pitching Ideas; CRAP Discussion 4: Combining Ideas Lab 4: 3D Printing and Duderstadt Tour
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 9: ROV Project Design Reviews
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 6

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 5 Due
Lecture 10: ROV Prototype Calculations 3 HOUR LAB
Disc/Lab 5: Preliminary Design Review and Construction Techniques

Go to lab at your regular discussion time.
Your team will be pulled out for your PDR meeting. 		PDR slides ready at start of your lab
Tandem Early Survey Due
Lecture 11: Team Communication Styles and Coming to Consensus
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 7

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 6 Due
ROV Design Selection Presentation Due
Lecture 12: ROV Design Selection Review Discussion 6: Audience analysis: making a case to Justin & your IA Lab 6: ROV Plan and Prep
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 13: Audience Analysis, Work time with DDR slides

Tandem Team Check Due

Week 8

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 7 Due
Detailed Design Review Slides Due
Lecture 14: Giving and receiving feedback in collaborative communication 3 HOUR LAB
Disc/Lab 7: Detailed Design Reviews

Go to lab at your regular discussion time.
Your team will be pulled out for your DDR meeting.
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 15: Formal technical presentations and the Critical Design Review
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 9

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Spring Break!

Week 10

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 8 Due
Individual Change Recommendation Memo Due
Lecture 16: Innovation videos, worktime for CDR slides Discussion 8: CDR Check-in Lab 8: ROV Build
Tandem Mid-Term Performance Review Due
DRAFT Critical Design Review Slides Due
Lecture 17: Work time for CDR slides
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 11

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 9 Due
Critical Design Review Slides Due
Lecture 18: CDR Presentations (the first 6 teams) Discussion 9: Team Check-in Lab 9: ROV Build
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 19: CDR Presentations (the other 6 teams)
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 12

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 10 Due
Lecture 20: ROV Scaling and Handling Risk in Engineering, Final Presentation and Report Discussion 10: Planning for Innovation Video Lab 10: ROV Build
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 21: Overview of MHL testing, Innovation Videos, work time for ROV deliverables
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 13

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Homework 11 Due
Lecture 22: Work time for ROV project deliverables 3 HOUR LAB
Disc/Lab 11: ROV Testing at GFL

Go to lab at your regular discussion time.
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 23: Work time for ROV project deliverables
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 14

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
DRAFT Final Presentation Due
DRAFT Final Report Due
Lecture 24: MHL Reminders; work time for ROV project deliverables 3 HOUR LAB
Disc/Lab 12: ROV Testing at MHL

Go to the MHL in West Hall on Central Campus at your regular discussion time.
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 25: Review of ROV Showcase logistics, work time for ROV project deliverables
Tandem Team Check Due
Final Presentation Due
Cost Worksheet Due
ROV SHOWCASE

Week 15

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Lecture 26: ROV Showcase de-brief, work time for innovation video and final report Discussion 13: Work time for final deliverables Lab 13: ROV Tear Down and Finish Documentation
Innovation Video Script and Scene Descriptions Due
Tandem Lesson Due
Lecture 27: Work time for innovation video and final report
Tandem Team Check Due

Week 16

Lecture

Discussion

Lab

Assignments Due
Innovation Video Due
Lecture 28: Course Wrap-up and Watch Innovation Videos No discussion No lab
Final Report to Executive Team Due
No lecture, classes are over
Tandem End of Term Feedback Survey Due