An embedded computing system (also just called an embedded system) is one where computing plays a large role, but the end-user does not see the system primarily as a computer. For example, a modern car may have up to 200 microprocessors controlling antilock brakes and other driving assists – but the user still sees it as a car and not as a computer. These systems typically encompass sensors (e.g., wheel rotation monitors), computation (e.g., to examine wheel speeds and decide how to brake), and actuators (e.g., the brakes).

Another example is robots; they sense their surroundings, compute their desired behavior and move accordingly. Antilock brakes and robotics are often seen as within the field of mechanical engineering, but biomedical engineering also has numerous examples; e.g., a modern pacemaker can monitor bodily signals and the current heart rate, compute whether the current heart rate is appropriate and stimulate the patient’s heart accordingly.

Sample classes include:

• Machine Structure and Assembly Language Programming
• Electrical Circuits and Biomedical Applications
• Digital Signal Processing
• Design of Medical Instrumentation
• Introduction to Algorithms
• Digital Controls and Dynamic Systems

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