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Development and Implementation of a Cooperative/Distributed Instrumentation and Measurement Laboratory for Diverse-Student Population 1. Introduction

The foundation for quality in product design and manufacturing is instrumentation and measurement, so it is somewhat surprising that Instrumentation and Measurements (I&M) has never been a major curriculum at universities1-7. Ideally, a properly trained workforce of engineers and technicians should have expert skills in measurements and instrumentation to maintain higher productivity, and to improve safety standards in the industry. There is evidence [1-12] that the complexities inherent in the new era of automation and intelligent systems require higher degree of skills and knowledge than can be provided at the artisan level. Prospective employees, as well as employees already on the job, need supplementary training to exploit new technologies, measurement, automation, and control systems. The use of I&M can be classified to three application schemes: 1) monitoring of processes and operations; 2) control of processes and operations; and 3) experimental engineering analysis. The first application is characterized as having only a monitoring function, while in the second the instrument serves as a component of an automatic control system. The third is for engineering problems that often require very extensive experimental studies. Industry now requires engineers who can compete in an environment characterized by reduced development times, lower development budgets, and increased expectations of high quality. These demands are presented within a new framework of intense global competition and shortages of qualified engineers apply additional pressure4.5.7. These facts support the necessity to improve and change the content of our I&M courses and laboratories. This paper describes the ongoing effort to establish a new I&M laboratory and course at our institutions.

1.1 Institutional Context:

Wayne State University is a Carnegie I Research Institution located in Detroit, MI, with an urban teaching and service mission. WSU is primarily a commuter school, which enrolls over 30,000 students having a mean age of 29 years. Our programs focus on application-oriented, analytical techniques, maintaining a close relationship between theory and practice by incorporating hands-on laboratories in the most of courses. WSU- DET houses dedicated laboratories for all if its programs, including the Circuit Lab, the Control System Lab, the Microprocessor Lab, the Electric Machines and Instrumentation Lab, the Computer Lab, and the EET/MCT Projects Labs for the EET/MCT courses. This proposed project would utilize WSU-DET I&M laboratory, as well as the Focus:HOPE industrial facilities to develop and house the new, restructured cooperative/distributed I&M laboratory. Focus:HOPE - The Coalition for New Manufacturing Education, also called the Greenfield Coalition is made up of Focus: Hope’s Center for Advanced Technologies (CAT) – a leading edge manufacturing and education facility in Detroit area, and the academic partners Wayne State University, Lawrence Technological University, Lehigh University, University of Michigan, and University of Detroit Mercy;

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Belu, R. (2006, June), Development And Implementation Of A Cooperative/Distributed Instrumentation And Measurement Laboratory For Diverse Student Population Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--673