Uncertainty Topics for Engineering Design Courses

Uncertainty commonly exists in engineering applications, especially in a design process. Quantifying and managing uncertainty is often a core consideration during the design stage. Due to its importance in engineering practices, uncertainty is gradually introduced and taught in a number of engineering courses. Uncertainty topics, however, are still limited and the teaching materials on uncertainty are still currently lacking. This paper focuses on possible topics that could be introduced in various engineering courses, particularly in design courses. The topics cover the following aspects: identify and take actions on potential failure modes, account for system reliability in the early design stage, quantify the effect of uncertainty, and mitigate the effect of uncertainty in latter design stages. This paper also introduces basics of related design methodologies, such as reliability-based design, robust design, and design for six sigma in order for interested educators to develop familiarity of uncertainty. This paper also reports the implementation and experience of uncertainty education at the Missouri University of Science and Technology