Borgstrom, P. H., & Kaiser, W. J., & Chung, G., & Nelson, Z., & Paul, M., & Stoytchev, S. M., & Ding, J. T. K. (2012, June), Science and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System: A Novel Approach to Controls Laboratories  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas. 10.18260/1-2--21900

\bibitem{asee_peer_21900}
  Borgstrom, P. H., \& Kaiser, W. J., \& Chung, G., \& Nelson, Z., \& Paul, M., \& Stoytchev, S. M., \& Ding, J. T. K. (2012, June), \emph{Science and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System: A Novel Approach to Controls Laboratories}
  Paper presented at 2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas.
  10.18260/1-2--21900

Per Henrik Borgstrom, William J. Kaiser, Gregory Chung, Zachary Nelson, Manda Paul, Stoytcho Marinov Stoytchev, and Jackson Tek Kon Ding.  "Science and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System: A Novel Approach to Controls Laboratories".  2012 ASEE Annual Conference & Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June.  ASEE Conferences, 2012.  https://peer.asee.org/21900 Internet.  26 Apr, 2024

\bibitem{asee_peer_21900}
  Per Henrik Borgstrom, William J. Kaiser, Gregory Chung, Zachary Nelson, Manda Paul, Stoytcho Marinov Stoytchev, and Jackson Tek Kon Ding.
  "Science and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System: A Novel Approach to Controls Laboratories".
  \emph{2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition, San Antonio, Texas, 2012, June}.
  ASEE Conferences, 2012.
  https://peer.asee.org/21900 Internet.  26 Apr, 2024

@INPROCEEDINGS{asee_peer_21900
author = "Per Henrik Borgstrom, William J. Kaiser, Gregory Chung, Zachary Nelson, Manda Paul, Stoytcho Marinov Stoytchev, and Jackson Tek Kon Ding"
title = "Science and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System: A Novel Approach to Controls Laboratories"
booktitle = "2012 ASEE Annual Conference \& Exposition"
year = "2012"
month = "June"
address = "San Antonio, Texas"
publisher = "ASEE Conferences"
note = {https://peer.asee.org/21900}
number = {10.18260/1-2--21900}
}

TY  - CPAPER
AB  - Science and Engineering Active Learning System: A Novel Approach to Controls LaboratoriesLaboratory experience is critical in science and engineering curricula. Universities invest tremendous amounts offunding in establishing and maintaining traditional labs for physics, engineering, controls, and other fields. Alongwith high cost, there are other problems with this practice: First, experimental systems are often shared by largenumbers of students, imposing scheduling burdens on administrators and students. Second, students must performexperiments in laboratory settings, which can represent stressful learning environments. These issues are amplifiedin control courses, in which problem-based learning and experimental work are particularly critical. We describe anovel approach to controls laboratories, which is based around a low-cost, take-home experimental device. ThisScience and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System is a highly versatile, portable inverted pendulum platformthat is sufficiently inexpensive to provide to students individually or in small groups. The bill of materials is roughly$100, and the system fits inside a carrying case smaller than a shoebox. This is in stark contrast to traditionalinverted pendulum systems, which cost orders of magnitude more and require lengthy setup procedures.The objective of the SEAL system is to enable at-home end-to-end student design and implementation of a varietyof control systems. This includes assembly, implementation of electromechanical systems, sophisticated systemidentification, design and verification of control algorithms.The SEAL system, consisting primarily of LEGO parts, is provided in an unassembled state. Students are taskedwith assembling it and becoming familiar with its components, including a DC motor and an optical encoder.Electronic systems are also provided in an unassembled state, and students are assigned to implement these systemsusing provided components. This introduces students to critical motor control elements as well as other fundamentalcomponents.A curriculum based around the SEAL platform has also been generated. This consists of modules that includesystem identification, car position control, and inverted pendulum stabilization. The modules are designed to beindependent, enabling instructors to selectively assign projects according to their syllabus. An extensive suite ofsoftware components has been generated to support these modules.The SEAL system was adopted in the Winter 2011 Introduction to Feedback Control Course in the UCLA ElectricalEngineering Department. This course consisted of 140 students sharing 50 SEAL platforms in groups of 2-3students. Upon completion of the course, students were asked to rate their experiences using a 5-point Likert scaleon: learning (M=4.19, SD=0.67), development of design skills (M=4.01, SD=0.78), development of hands-on skillswith electronics (M=3.74, SD=0.94), engagement in course material (M=4.21, SD=0.69), increased effort (M=3.92,SD=0.68), and student interaction with instructors (M=4.24, SD=0.77) and other students (M=3.90, SD=0.84).These results suggest an overwhelmingly positive response. Further, students were allowed to provide write-incomments. These responses demonstrate significant advances in course objectives. One student wrote that he“would never have understood … PID” if he was “just taught the theory,” while another testified to the efficacy ofimplementing designs “on a real physical system” and seeing “the effects of adjustments.”
AU  - Per Henrik Borgstrom
AU  - William J. Kaiser
AU  - Gregory Chung
AU  - Zachary Nelson
AU  - Manda Paul
AU  - Stoytcho Marinov Stoytchev
AU  - Jackson Tek Kon Ding
CY  - San Antonio, Texas
DA  - 2012/06/10
PB  - ASEE Conferences
TI  - Science and Engineering Active Learning (SEAL) System: A Novel Approach to Controls Laboratories
UR  - https://peer.asee.org/21900
DO  - 10.18260/1-2--21900
ER  -