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Simulation and Control of Space Mechanisms: An Undergraduate Controls Course for Mechanical Engineering Students

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Conference

2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition

Location

Portland, Oregon

Publication Date

June 23, 2024

Start Date

June 23, 2024

End Date

June 26, 2024

Conference Session

MECH - Technical Session 9: Advanced Mechanical Engineering Topics

Tagged Division

Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)

Page Count

18

DOI

10.18260/1-2--47970

Permanent URL

https://peer.asee.org/47970

Download Count

74

Paper Authors

biography

Brian James Slaboch Milwaukee School of Engineering

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Brian J. Slaboch holds a Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Marquette University and is currently an Associate Professor at the Milwaukee School of Engineering. His research is in the general area of mechanism design, and he is currently investigating ways to utilize mechanisms with variable topology, as applied to manufacturing, healthcare, and space applications.

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biography

Luis Alberto Rodriguez Milwaukee School of Engineering

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Dr. Luis A. Rodriguez is currently an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the Milwaukee School of Engineering (MSOE). He completed his doctoral training at the University of California-Irvine where he was a National Science Foundation Bridge to the Doctorate Fellow. He completed his master’s degree at the University of Wisconsin-Madison where he was a GEM fellow and Graduate Engineering Research Scholar. He also holds a bachelor’s degree from University of California San Diego. His interests include robot control, design of mechatronics systems, pneumatic actuation, motion planning and optimal control.

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Abstract

Students in a traditional undergraduate mechanical engineering program typically take a controls course during their junior or senior year. Often, these courses are highly theoretical and may or may not have a corresponding lab component. Students often struggle to connect the fundamentals of feedback control systems with practical hardware and software implementation. To address this crucial learning gap and to foster more engaging learning experiences, a new technical elective was developed at the Milwaukee School of Engineering titled “Simulation and Control of Space Mechanisms.” The new course is a follow-on course to a traditional undergraduate mechanical engineering controls course that incorporates research with experiential learning. The ten-week course provides students an opportunity to use modern computer tools to aid in the simulation and control of space mechanisms. In particular, the course focuses on the mathematical modeling, simulation, and control of an innovative four-bar planar pick and place mechanism capable of dynamically changing its topology within its workspace. This immersive educational experience allows students to connect fundamental mathematical modeling of a physical system to the real-time control of physical hardware. This paper documents the structure of this new course, its learning objectives, and outlines the unique project and laboratory experiences that students engaged in to enrich their educational journey.

Slaboch, B. J., & Rodriguez, L. A. (2024, June), Simulation and Control of Space Mechanisms: An Undergraduate Controls Course for Mechanical Engineering Students Paper presented at 2024 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, Portland, Oregon. 10.18260/1-2--47970

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