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- Title
Use of Open-source Software in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering Education - Part II: Controller Implementation.
- Authors
Lotfi, Nima; Auslander, Dave; Rodriguez, Luis A.; Mbanisi, Kenechukwu C.; Berry, Carlotta A.
- Abstract
This paper is the second part of a two-part study on promoting the use of Open-Source Software (OSS) in Mechatronics and Robotics Engineering (MRE) education. Part I demonstrated the capabilities and limitations of several popular OSS, namely, Python, Java, Modelica, and GNU Octave, in model simulation and analysis of dynamic systems, through a DC motor example. The DC motor was chosen as a representative of a large class of dynamic systems described by linear differential equations. The perceptions of MRE community members about the OSS and their applications, gathered through an online survey, were also presented in Part I. In this paper, another fundamental pillar of MRE systems development, i.e., controller implementation, is considered. To this end, the OSS above, along with Gazebo, are used to simulate the closed-loop trajectory tracking performance of a 2-DOF robot manipulator, controlled by a PID controller. Robot manipulators represent a broader category of dynamic systems, which are described by nonlinear differential equations. Furthermore, PID controllers are one of the most versatile closed-loop control methodologies which have been established as the industry standard. Showcasing the implementation of this important category of controllers through OSS can promote their use in a wide range of MRE problems and projects. This paper also provides an overview of the potentials, limitations, and challenges regarding the use of each of the above OSS in solving the aforementioned problems. The OSS are increasingly being adapted as industry standard; furthermore, their numerous benefits pose them as a viable option to complement traditional higher education courses along with facilitating online and remote education. Therefore, this two-part paper and the various problems showcased and solved therein aim to pave the way towards further utilization of the OSS in MRE higher education, reaping the wide range of their benefits, and preparing the students for the future workforce. Full scripts of the codes summarized and discussed in this paper, along with Matlab scripts included to enable comparison, are made freely available on the Github repository of this paper.
- Subjects
ENGINEERING education; ROBOTICS software; LINEAR differential equations; NONLINEAR differential equations; PID controllers; VIRTUAL communities; PYTHON programming language
- Publication
Computers in Education Journal, 2022, Vol 13, Issue 1-4, p1
- ISSN
1069-3769
- Publication type
Article