Dynamics and Controls and Robotics and Mechatronics Laboratories

Since 1996, nearly $320,000 has been spent on instructional laboratory equipment in the dynamics and control group. This is coupled with the addition of nearly 3100 square feet of floor space used for instructional laboratories. These great increases have been realized with a change in philosophy. The Dynamics and Controls group has integrated its research and instructional programs. Much of the equipment listed is dual use for both research and instruction. No equipment that is specifically for research has been included. The effect of this philosophy is that all courses within the group are now taught with meaningful physical lab experiences integrated within their objectives, outcomes, and assessments. The benefit to the research program, that students are now very knowledgeable in their test equipment when beginning their research, has been a boost to the overall productivity of the group. The benefit to the undergraduate program is that students are gaining a heightened appreciation for dynamics and controls as indicated by the increased number of students taking the senior elective EML4312/5311 Design and Analysis of Control Systems and applying for graduate studies within the group.

Room B309 serves as a laboratory for EML3013- Dynamic System I. In general, the equipment, instrumentation and software presently available in this laboratory are sufficient for the instructional needs of this course. This laboratory was set up in summer 2001, mostly through an NSF laboratory innovation grant. Currently a complete set of experiments, consisting of three different types of courseware, has been developed to supplement the teaching of the Dynamic System I courses through: (1) the use of active examples during regular lectures to replace traditional, white board examples; (2) hands-on demonstrations during the 3-hour weekly laboratory period as not only visually-appealing but quantitatively illustrative assignments; and (3) a full-scale dynamics laboratory to provide students with a comprehensive hands-on laboratory experience. These experiments cover all the major aspects taught in EML3013, including projectile motion, Newton's Laws, Principle of Work and Energy, impulse and momentum, moment of inertia, rigid body kinematics and kinetics, and vibration. In addition, a corresponding web site for this laboratory was created at www.eng.fsu.edu/dynamics1. Overall, approximately $35,000 has been spent to purchase all the equipment, computers and the data acquisition systems. The equipment and instrumentation are all in excellent condition and are continuously used to aid the instruction of EML3013- Dynamic Systems I.

Beginning in 2002, we have equipped B309 and room B360 for use as a robotics instructional laboratory. The laboratory is equipped with seven mobile robotic vehicles, four desktop computers, and one laptop computer. The laboratory has generous free floor space for mobile robot experimentation and demonstrations. The robots are also used for research in control, navigation, and design. The laboratory also has space for eight graduate students and two undergraduates. The students use the lab's wireless network to test mobile robot algorithms. The lab is also the construction site for manipulator robots. Currently two are being built. The lab's computers are loaded with the software necessary for robot design and control including Solid Works computer aided design software and ADAMS/View vehicle modeling and simulation software. Furthermore, the lab includes hardware tools, pegboards, dry erase boards, and ample shelving for technical journals and catalogs.
CEB room B324 serves as the laboratory space for EML3014C Dynamic Systems II and EML4312/5311 Design and analysis of Control Systems. B324 is used both for research and for educational use. The laboratory equipment, tools and computing facilities are mainly for instructional purpose but are used frequently for senior design projects and undergraduate research projects. The equipment is available to students that need to practice or explore the principles of instrumentation before continuing their efforts. The facilities in this lab are very good according to student feedback. The lab space is about 1300 sq. ft. in size and equipped with state of the art tools and computing facilities.

For the core class EML3014C: Dynamic Systems II, B324 provides six student stations, each consisting of one lab power supply, one function generator, one oscilloscope and one multi-meter. In the experiments performed, students use electrical components to simulate mechanical spring-mass-damper systems. The purpose of this approach is to have students understand that different classes of systems, mechanical, electrical, thermal, etc. have similar dynamics as long as the governing differential equations of motion are similar. Thus, much insight of system behavior can be gained by theorizing, modeling, prototyping, and experimenting, in an analogous class of systems. These stations allow the students to observe "real world" behavior for dynamic systems and compare to theoretical predictions based on instruction of fundamental concepts covered in class.

For the Design and Analysis of Control Systems there are four student stations, each equipped with a Pentium IV PC with a dSPACE 1104 controller card and control panel, as well as a motor control test station. The purpose of the lab experiments is to give students hands-on experience on digital data acquisition and system identification, as well as various controller design techniques, implementation, and experimental validation.