Development of Virtual Labs for Soft Robotics Courses to Enhance Student Learning and Support Faculty Teaching

Fahim Dorsey; Connor Joseph Talley; Razvan Cristian Voicu; Ayse Tekes

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Conference: 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition
Location: Montreal, Quebec, Canada
Publication Date: June 22, 2025
Start Date: June 22, 2025
End Date: August 15, 2025
Conference Session: ME Division 9: Enhancing Lab Experiences
Tagged Division: Mechanical Engineering Division (MECH)
Page Count: 22
DOI: 10.18260/1-2--56292
Permanent URL: https://peer.asee.org/56292
Download Count: 6

Dr. Razvan Cristian Voicu is a faculty member in the Department of Robotics and Mechatronics Engineering at Kennesaw State University. His research interests include artificial intelligence, robotics, and the development of AI-driven systems for knowledge transfer and adaptive learning. Dr. Voicu is dedicated to exploring innovative applications of AI to enhance learning and problem-solving in complex environments.

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biography

Ayse Tekes Kennesaw State University orcid.org/0000-0002-9537-2098

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Ayse Tekes is an Associate in the Mechanical Engineering Department at Kennesaw State University. She received her B.S., M.S. and Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering from Istanbul Technical University, Turkey.

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Abstract

Soft robotics is an emerging field that deals with the design, modeling, and fabrication of robotic systems made of soft and compliant materials mimicking the motion in nature. Since soft robotics will revolutionize the safe interaction of humans and robots due to the application of soft materials in the robot’s structure, the next generation of robotics will yield more towards soft robotics. Engineering programs should introduce this cutting-edge technology in their curriculum that is designed to satisfy societal challenges provide a template for the advances in soft robotics, and support students to learn and explore these revolutionary changes to prepare the U.S. workforce for advanced robotics careers. However, despite the rapid growth of soft robotics, the resources available to the engineering faculty and students are very limited. Also, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities to shift to emergency remote instruction, digital learning tools have become a necessity, not just an accessory, to support students’ access to resources and to facilitate their engagement and learning. To meet the needs of developing technological solutions in soft robotics courses by visualizing complex concepts, improving students’ core understanding of the material, and growing their confidence for emerging engineering careers, we developed an open-source and user-friendly virtual lab using MATLAB Simscape for soft robotics and compliant mechanisms courses to simulate and visualize the core concepts. The developed virtual lab enables students and faculty to visualize and simulate complex concepts in soft robotics, which are often challenging to grasp through traditional teaching methods. By integrating teaching methodologies with interactive simulations, our virtual lab simplifies the learning process and enriches the teaching experience. The virtual lab enables students and faculty to visualize and simulate complex concepts in soft robotics, which are often challenging to grasp through traditional teaching methods. By integrating teaching methodologies with interactive simulations, our virtual lab simplifies the learning process and enriches the teaching experience. The virtual lab includes a comprehensive library of compliant components, such as flexure hinges and flexible beams (e.g., fixed-fixed, fixed-free, and initially curved). It also features a variety of compliant mechanisms like double-dwell, bistable, parallel-arm, four-bar, and five-bar systems. Furthermore, it offers detailed comparisons between theoretical models, such as the pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM), MATLAB Simscape simulations, Ansys results, and experimental data obtained from 3D-printed lab kits and machine vision measurements. To support active learning, the virtual lab is complemented by a set of example activities that can be used for homework or in-class demonstrations.

Citation
Format

Dorsey, F., & Talley, C. J., & Voicu, R. C., & Tekes, A. (2025, June), Development of Virtual Labs for Soft Robotics Courses to Enhance Student Learning and Support Faculty Teaching Paper presented at 2025 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition , Montreal, Quebec, Canada . 10.18260/1-2--56292

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Soft robotics is an emerging field that deals with the design, modeling, and fabrication of robotic systems made of soft and compliant materials mimicking the motion in nature. Since soft robotics will revolutionize the safe interaction of humans and robots due to the application of soft materials in the robot’s structure, the next generation of robotics will yield more towards soft robotics. Engineering programs should introduce this cutting-edge technology in their curriculum that is designed to satisfy societal challenges provide a template for the advances in soft robotics, and support students to learn and explore these revolutionary changes to prepare the U.S. workforce for advanced robotics careers. However, despite the rapid growth of soft robotics, the resources available to the engineering faculty and students are very limited. Also, as the COVID-19 pandemic has forced universities to shift to emergency remote instruction, digital learning tools have become a necessity, not just an accessory, to support students’ access to resources and to facilitate their engagement and learning. 
To meet the needs of developing technological solutions in soft robotics courses by visualizing complex concepts, improving students’ core understanding of the material, and growing their confidence for emerging engineering careers, we developed an open-source and user-friendly virtual lab using MATLAB Simscape for soft robotics and compliant mechanisms courses to simulate and visualize the core concepts. The developed virtual lab enables students and faculty to visualize and simulate complex concepts in soft robotics, which are often challenging to grasp through traditional teaching methods. By integrating teaching methodologies with interactive simulations, our virtual lab simplifies the learning process and enriches the teaching experience. The virtual lab enables students and faculty to visualize and simulate complex concepts in soft robotics, which are often challenging to grasp through traditional teaching methods. By integrating teaching methodologies with interactive simulations, our virtual lab simplifies the learning process and enriches the teaching experience.
The virtual lab includes a comprehensive library of compliant components, such as flexure hinges and flexible beams (e.g., fixed-fixed, fixed-free, and initially curved). It also features a variety of compliant mechanisms like double-dwell, bistable, parallel-arm, four-bar, and five-bar systems. Furthermore, it offers detailed comparisons between theoretical models, such as the pseudo-rigid-body model (PRBM), MATLAB Simscape simulations, Ansys results, and experimental data obtained from 3D-printed lab kits and machine vision measurements. To support active learning, the virtual lab is complemented by a set of example activities that can be used for homework or in-class demonstrations. 

AU  - Fahim Dorsey
AU  - Connor Joseph Talley
AU  - Razvan Cristian Voicu
AU  - Ayse Tekes
CY  - Montreal, Quebec, Canada 
DA  - 2025/06/22
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Development of Virtual Labs for Soft Robotics Courses to Enhance Student Learning and Support Faculty Teaching
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/56292
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--56292
ER  -