Hands on the human body! a.k.a. introducing freshmen to multidisciplinary engineering principles Through application to the human body

The human body is an exquisite combination of interacting systems which can be analyzed using multidisciplinary engineering principles. We have developed a series of hands-on modules that introduce freshman engineering students to chemical, mechanical, and electrical engineering principles through application to the human body. Students are engaged in the scientific discovery process as they explore the engineering systems within the human body using exciting hands-on "reverse engineering" methods. The modules explore respiration, metabolism, pulmonary mechanics, the cardiovascular system, work and power, electrical signals, biomechanics, and mechanics of materials. Through the investigation of these systems, students learn basic concepts of mass and energy balances; fluid flow; work, energy, and efficiency; forces and levers; material strength and stresses; and electrical signal processing. This paper describes each module and includes an outline of the relevant measurements, calculations, and engineering principles.