%0 Conference Proceedings %B ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition %D 2006 %T Haptic Interfaces for a LabVIEW-based System Dynamics Course %A Kevin Bowen %A O'Malley, M.K. %K Computer programming languages %K Electromechanical devices %K Engineering education %K Learning systems %K Mechanical engineering %K Students %K Virtual reality %X

Too often in undergraduate mechanical engineering courses, the content of laboratory exercises is not well coordinated with course content, and the exercises are unrelated to each other. As a result, students have a difficult time grasping the "big picture" themes. This project at Rice University seeks to improve the effectiveness of laboratory exercises in a required undergraduate mechanical engineering system dynamics course via student-centered learning and laboratory topics featuring haptic paddles, devices that allow users to interact via the sense of touch with virtual environments. One outcome of these improvements is a cohesive set of laboratory experiments using the haptic paddles as a single experimental test bed for multiple experiments. The Haptic Paddle exercises are unique because they allow the students to analyze and build their own haptic interface, or force-reflecting system. The students are able to see many subsets of mechanical engineering come together in a series of exercises, including assembly, system analysis, calibration, system modeling, and dynamics. Finally, a key advantage to the haptic paddle labs is that they tie closely with the course material. This paper describes the development of haptic paddle laboratory kits and associated National Instruments LabVIEW virtual instrumentation to support the adaptation of laboratory experiments for a required undergraduate system dynamics course at Rice University. The laboratory experiments use simple haptic interfaces, devices that allow the students to interact via the sense of touch with virtual environments. A clear benefit of this laboratory series is that students study the haptic paddle as a real electromechanical system in addition to using the haptic paddle as a tool to interact with virtual mechanical systems. The haptic paddle hardware has been modified to improve robustness, and the LabVIEW graphical programming language is used for data acquisition and control throughout the laboratory series. The paper will present some details of the laboratory components, and preliminary assessment of learning outcomes using this laboratory series compared to more traditional modular labs used in prior years. © American Society for Engineering Education, 2006.

%B ASEE Annual Conference and Exposition %C Chicago, IL, United States %G eng %> https://mahilab.rice.edu/sites/default/files/publications/36-ASEE2006-paper-O%27Malley%20session%201526.pdf %0 Conference Proceedings %B ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings %D 2004 %T Virtual labs in the engineering curriculum %A David M. McStravick %A O'Malley, M.K. %K Computer programming languages %K Computer simulation %K Curricula %K Data reduction %K Graphic methods %K Students %K Visualization %X

Computer simulations have been developed for use as student exercises to illustrate concepts required for various engineering courses. These simulations or Virtual Labs are highly graphical and interactive to help undergraduate students understand basic concepts by graphically solving problems and by visualization of real-time parametric changes. These Virtual Labs (or VL's) can be used productively in conjunction with existing laboratory experiments as pre-lab exercises, but the more important benefit is realized in cases of concepts that have no experimental support and in courses that traditionally do not have an associated laboratory course. These VL's are generated in the software package Lab VIEW, which offers graphical interfaces for the student and can be formatted as standalone files, which the students can download and access at their convenience, without the need for Lab VIEW software. Currently five VL's have been generated and several have been evaluated by students in appropriate classes.

%B ASEE Annual Conference Proceedings %C Salt Lake City, UT, United States %P 15293 - 15304 %G eng %> https://mahilab.rice.edu/sites/default/files/publications/mcstravick2004asee.pdf