A Laboratory for Instruction in Integration of Machines and Controls

我们的长期目标是开发一个新颖的教学工厂，使本科生能够获得实际的、多学科的实践经验，并应用他们在科学、数学和工程方面的知识来解决由工业级自动化制造系统组成的现实环境中出现的问题。我们的愿景是将这一独特的实验室体验贯穿整个本科课程，同时有效地捕捉现代生产系统中遇到的所有重要方面问题的丰富性。作为实现这一愿景的第一步，我们建议开发一个教学实验室，学生将在其中设计和建造能够使用工业级零部件进行轻工制造的原型机械。该实验室的独特之处在于，学生将使用开放式体系结构控制器和仪器从头开始构建这些机器，以确保完全访问这些学生制造的机床、机器人和其他设备的内部部件。这将消除专有的黑匣子，使学习畅通无阻，同时激发探究和创造力。现在是这个项目的一个特别合适的时间，因为我们将把我们的实验室搬到我们部门在莱昂哈德大楼的新家。

Our long-term goal is to develop a novel Teaching Factory which will enable undergraduate students to gain realistic hands-on, multi-disciplinary experience and apply their knowledge in science, mathematics, and engineering to solve problems that arise in a realistic environment consisting of an industrial grade automated manufacturing system. Our vision is to weave this unique laboratory experience throughout the undergraduate curriculum while effectively capturing the richness of the problems encountered in modern production systems in all their important dimensions. As first step in realizing this vision, we propose to develop an instructional laboratory in which students will design and construct prototype machinery capable of light manufacturing using industrial grade components. The unique feature of this laboratory is that students will construct these machines from "scratch" using open architecture controllers and instrumentation to ensure full access to the internals of these student-built machine tools, robots, and other equipment. This will eliminate proprietary black boxes and enable unhindered learning while stimulating inquiry and creativity. This is a particularly appropriate time for this project because we will moving our laboratories to our Department's new home in the Leonhard Building.