TE-2015-000265 R1_Final

Continual advances in information and communication technologies (ICT) are revolutionizing virtual education, and bringing new tools on the market that provide virtual solutions to a range of problems. Nevertheless, non-virtual experimentation using Computer-Aided Control System Design tools is still fundamental for future engineers. This paper describes a control course lab element, designed to teach electronic control engineering, in which students use a networked control system to steer and drive an electric car prototype. Multidisciplinary in nature, this lab allows students to take advantage of their previous academic training as they model the plant from an open-loop test, and contrast the simulated behavior with experimental results obtained on the prototype. A goal in this work was that students, across multiple engineering disciplines, should be able integrate the knowledge acquired throughout their degree studies. An evaluation of students’ grades, and their perception of the course, was conducted; this confirmed the educational benefits of the approach.