A Task Based Approach to Mechatronic Systems Education

Volume 3 ◽  
2004 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kevin Firth ◽  
Brian Surgenor ◽  
Peter Wild

This paper describes an elective course in mechatronic systems engineering that is project based and team-oriented with hands-on learning. Working in small teams, students add electronic components to a mobile robot base and write the programs required to make the robot perform a series of tasks. Although the application of mobile robots as an educational tool in a mechatronics course is becoming the norm at many universities, the task based organization of the Queen’s mechatronics course is believed to have a number of novel features. The paper will review the pedagogy of the course, including aspects of the student workload, the interplay between teams, and the task based approach to marking and organization of the laboratories.

2014 ◽  
Vol 23 (36) ◽  
pp. 65
Author(s):  
Nelson David Muñoz-Ceballos ◽  
Jaime Alejandro Valencia-Velásquez

<p>Despite the wide variety of studies and research on mobile robot systems, performance metrics are not often examined. This makes difficult to establish an objective comparison of achievements. In this paper, the navigation of an autonomous mobile robot is evaluated. Several metrics are described. These metrics, collectively, provide an indication of navigation quality, useful for comparing and analyzing navigation algorithms of mobile robots. This method is suggested as an educational tool, which allows the student to optimize the algorithms quality, relating to important aspects<br />of science, technology and engineering teaching, as energy consumption, optimization and design.</p>


Author(s):  
Shuvra Das

Abstract Engineering education in many countries still follows a traditional model where the curriculum is broadly divided into lecture-based theory classes and laboratory classes where experiments are conducted by students using step by step instructions. This type of curriculum has heavy emphasis on theory and less on exploration, application and design. In this model, opportunities for students to do hands-on activities such as building hardware and deal with troubleshooting, writing simulation models and learning by failing, etc. are quite limited. Also, many instructors in these systems are uncomfortable to adopt more hands-on teaching for the fear of failure. In 2019, in China, I taught a freshmen-level course on Introduction to Robotics using Arduino-based hardware where the students had to work in teams to build and program a mobile robot using parts that were provided to them. In 2020, I taught two classes in India for junior/senior level students on Modeling and Simulation of Mechatronic Systems and Modeling and Simulation of Hybrid Vehicles, respectively. In both courses the students spent over 80% of class time developing models and running simulations. In all three courses, enrolling about 60 students each, extensive survey-based assessment showed students are hungry for this type of hands-on experience and would be embracing these types of classes with a lot of enthusiasm. This paper discusses the details of the three classes and results from all the survey-based assessments that were done in the courses.


2010 ◽  
Vol 7 ◽  
pp. 109-117
Author(s):  
O.V. Darintsev ◽  
A.B. Migranov ◽  
B.S. Yudintsev

The article deals with the development of a high-speed sensor system for a mobile robot, used in conjunction with an intelligent method of planning trajectories in conditions of high dynamism of the working space.


2010 ◽  
Vol 30 (1) ◽  
pp. 96-102 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kazuhiro FUJIMOTO ◽  
Atsushi KUROSAWA ◽  
Akihiro SUZUKI ◽  
Satoshi FUJITA ◽  
Hiroshi IWASAKI

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Martin Biermann ◽  
Salim Kanoun ◽  
Trond Davidsen ◽  
Robert Gray

Abstract Aims Since 2017, medical students at the University of Bergen were taught PET/CT “hands-on” by viewing PET/CT cases in native format on diagnostic workstations in the hospital. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, students were barred access. This prompted us to launch and evaluate a new freeware PET/CT viewing system hosted in the university network. Methods We asked our students to install the multiplatform Fiji viewer with Beth Israel PET/CT plugin (http://petctviewer.org) on their personal computers and connect to a central image database in the university network based on the public domain orthanc server (https://orthanc-server.com). At the end of course, we conducted an anonymous student survey. Results The new system was online within eight days, including regulatory approval. All 76 students (100 %) in the fifth year completed their course work, reading five anonymized PET/CT cases as planned. 41 (53 %) students answered the survey. Fiji was challenging to install with a mean score of 1.8 on a 5-point Likert scale (5 = easy, 1 = difficult). Fiji was more difficult to use (score 3.0) than the previously used diagnostic workstations in the hospital (score 4.1; p < 0.001, paired t-test). Despite the technical challenge, 47 % of students reported having learnt much (scores 4 and 5); only 11 % were negative (scores 1 and 2). 51 % found the PET/CT tasks engaging (scores 4 and 5) while 20 % and 5 % returned scores 2 and 1, respectively. Conclusion Despite the initial technical challenge, “hands-on” learning of PET/CT based on the freeware Fiji/orthanc PET/CT-viewer was associated with a high degree of student satisfaction. We plan to continue running the system to give students permanent access to PET/CT cases in native format regardless of time or location.


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