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Sustainable Platform for Educational Real-Time Experiments

Summary of the Project

The "Sustainable Platform for Educational Real-Time Experiments" (SPERTE) project, led by Gert Witvoet with involvement from Tom Oomen, has been aimed at developing a demonstrator setup for conducting real-time experiments in an educational environment. Initially targeted at the Master course "Control Engineering" (CE; 4CM00), it also intends to be applicable in the Bachelor course "Signals and Systems" (S&S; 4CA00) and the Master course "Advanced Motion Control" (AMC; 4CM60). CE, a core course in various Master programs, attracts over 200 students annually. However, the current experimental setup, involving student laptops, a motion setup, and an outdated real-time operating system (RTOS), has been reaching its capacity limits and becoming less representative of industry standards. To address this, SPERTE has been focusing on creating a sustainable alternative that does not rely on student laptops and aligns with industrial practices. The proposed solution involves developing a dedicated, affordable target-pc to serve as a real-time controller, interfacing with existing equipment and using standard campus software like Matlab.

Aim of the Project

The SPERTE project aims to design a prototype of a dedicated target-pc to replace the current RTOS-dependent setup used in the CE course. This target-pc will act as a real-time controller, communicating with the existing motion setup and data-acquisition device (e-box). The primary objectives are to develop a nearly maintenance-free hardware solution that eliminates dependency on student laptops, ensure sustainable software support using commercial tools like Matlab, and enhance student convenience by allowing the use of their own operating systems. Additionally, the project seeks to provide students with industry-relevant experience by resembling commercial real-time solutions. Expected outcomes include a trade-off analysis of hardware and software options, a demonstrator prototype, a cost estimate for future procurement, a tutorial for hardware usage, and a plan to increase educational capacity. The project involves a one-year timeline with initial research and development by a team of teaching assistants, supervised by TU/e staff, and includes pilot testing in CE courses. Dissemination and sustainability are key aspects, with results being shared with other course lecturers and the goal of fulfilling educational needs for at least the next decade.

Results and learnings

This project is currently still ongoing


FOR MORE INFORMATION, PLEASE CONTACT:

Assistant Professor
Gert Witvoet
Mechanical Engineering
+31 40 247 3334
full professor
Tom Oomen
Mechanical Engineering
+31 40 247 8332

Tags

OngoingTeaching Aid
Mechanical Engineering
Real-Time Experiments