Development of a Remote Access Internet Based Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory

现代工程系统的高度复杂性和跨学科性质需要不同工程和科学学科之间的协同作用。这种系统的一个组成部分是高级控制策略的设计。这个项目的重点是建立一个控制设计实验室，涉及多学科的机器人、化学过程、电气、机械和能量转换系统。该实验室的一个独特之处在于，它改编自美国国家科学基金会资助的研讨会“控制工程教育的新方向”，为实验室试验台提供了一个基于互联网的远程访问系统（RAS）。这些模块化和多学科的试验台允许在传感器，执行器，电子，计算机接口，网络和软件集成的实验室经验。正在为每个试验台编写实验室手册。除工科学生外，该项目的目标还包括大学预科学生和教师，通过他们参与试点测试和实验测试平台的实施。跨学科的互动是利用以团队为导向的方法来设计和控制多学科实验试验台的教学法。该项目影响了机械、航空航天、制造、电气和化学工程系以及计算机科学系的课程。

The highly complex and interdisciplinary nature of modern engineering systems necessitates synergies among the different engineering and science disciplines. An integral part of such systems is the design of advanced control strategies. This project focuses on the development of a Control Design Laboratory involving multidisciplinary robotic, chemical process, electric, machine, and energy conversion systems. A unique feature of the laboratory is the adaptation from the NSF funded workshop "New Directions in Control Engineering Education" of an Internet-based remote access system (RAS) for the laboratory testbeds . These modular and multidisciplinary testbeds allow laboratory experiences in the integration of sensors, actuators, electronics, computer interfaces, networking, and software. Laboratory manuals for each testbed are under development. In addition to engineering students , the project targets include pre-college students and teachers through their participation in pilot-testing and implementation of experimental test-beds. Cross-disciplinary interactions are promoted utilizing a team oriented approach to the pedagogy of design and control of the multi-disciplinary experimental test-beds. The project impacts the curricula of mechanical, aerospace, manufacturing, electrical, and chemical engineering departments as well as that of the computer science department.