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Course Description

In this course you will go beyond output devices that simply display information to output devices that involve physical movement. Actuators are the components of interactive devices that act on the world. You will learn about servo motors and other actuators that can be incorporated into your interactive devices.

Some actuators, such as motors, can draw heavy currents at times. In order to use these actuators you will need to work out the power requirements for your device. In this course you will learn some of the basics of battery selection and power management.

There are a number of practical activities involving the Arduino and various external components, and during these practical sessions you will deepen your prototyping and debugging skills. These activities lead up to the final project, in which you will design and build a physical interactive device of your own choosing.

This program requires the purchase of a kit of electronic components and microcontrollers at a cost of around $600.

You are required to have completed the following courses or have equivalent experience before taking this course:

  • Designing a Simple Interactive System
  • Expanding Interactive Systems With Devices and Libraries
  • Designing Complex Sensing and Functions in Interactive Systems

Faculty Author

Wendy Ju

Benefits to the Learner

  • Use a servo motor to perform tasks in the physical world
  • Design and integrate the interactive, electronic, and mechanical aspects of a system to unify device function
  • Determine power requirements and choose batteries to match an application
  • Build, prototype, and test a system design for deployment in the real world

Target Audience

  • Engineers
  • Research and design professionals
  • Product designers and developers
  • Software engineers
  • Electronics hobbyists
  • Designers/artists with the appropriate background
  • Entrepreneurs
  • Career starters

Applies Towards the Following Certificates

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Enroll Now - Select a section to enroll in

Type
2 week
Dates
May 20, 2026 to Jun 02, 2026
Total Number of Hours
10.0
Course Fee(s)
Standard Price $1,199.00

Section Notes

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION

  • Due to the applied nature of this program, you will need to order a kit of electrical components before the start of your course. Below please find a link where you can purchase your kit. We encourage you to order supplies now.
  • http://portal.ecornell.com/specialrequest/publicSpecialRequest.do?method=addSpecialRequest&specialRequestId=809218024
  • Please note that while course and certificate fees are refundable, the kit fee is not refundable once shipped.
  • Once you have received your kit, please use this LIST to inventory your kit and ensure you have received all kit components.
Type
2 week
Dates
Aug 12, 2026 to Aug 25, 2026
Total Number of Hours
10.0
Course Fee(s)
Standard Price $1,199.00

Section Notes

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION

  • Due to the applied nature of this program, you will need to order a kit of electrical components before the start of your course. Below please find a link where you can purchase your kit. We encourage you to order supplies now.
  • http://portal.ecornell.com/specialrequest/publicSpecialRequest.do?method=addSpecialRequest&specialRequestId=809218024
  • Please note that while course and certificate fees are refundable, the kit fee is not refundable once shipped.
  • Once you have received your kit, please use this LIST to inventory your kit and ensure you have received all kit components.
Type
2 week
Dates
Nov 04, 2026 to Nov 17, 2026
Total Number of Hours
10.0
Course Fee(s)
Standard Price $1,199.00

Section Notes

IMPORTANT COURSE INFORMATION

  • Due to the applied nature of this program, you will need to order a kit of electrical components before the start of your course. Below please find a link where you can purchase your kit. We encourage you to order supplies now.
  • http://portal.ecornell.com/specialrequest/publicSpecialRequest.do?method=addSpecialRequest&specialRequestId=809218024
  • Please note that while course and certificate fees are refundable, the kit fee is not refundable once shipped.
  • Once you have received your kit, please use this LIST to inventory your kit and ensure you have received all kit components.
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