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A Three-Year Feedback Study of a Remote Laboratory Used in Control Engineering Studies | IEEE Journals & Magazine | IEEE Xplore

A Three-Year Feedback Study of a Remote Laboratory Used in Control Engineering Studies


Abstract:

This paper discusses the results of a feedback study for a remote laboratory used in the education of control engineering students. The goal is to show the effectiveness ...Show More

Abstract:

This paper discusses the results of a feedback study for a remote laboratory used in the education of control engineering students. The goal is to show the effectiveness of the remote laboratory on examination results. To provide an overview, the two applications of the remote laboratory are addressed: 1) the Stewart platform, and 2) the quadruple water tank system. Combining both applications allows a broad spectrum of practical examples featuring challenging control aspects such as multiple-input-multiple-output control, decoupling, non-minimum phase systems, open-loop unstable systems, and PID control design. The remote laboratory feedback study was performed using a five-point Likert-type scale survey to elicit the students' level of satisfaction with the laboratory. Three years of student examination results were also studied to compare performance before and after integrating the remote laboratory. In the first of these years there was no use of the remote laboratory. In the second year, the remote laboratory was introduced on a voluntary basis, and in the third year the remote laboratory was obligatory. Student feedback indicates that the remote laboratory needs further development to counter its limitations. A major conclusion of the survey was that there is keen interest in the remote laboratory to provide practical experience in the training of a control engineer. It can be concluded that the remote laboratory has a positive effect on student examination results.
Published in: IEEE Transactions on Education ( Volume: 60, Issue: 2, May 2017)
Page(s): 127 - 133
Date of Publication: 27 September 2016

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Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Amélie Chevalier was born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1988. She received the M.Sc. degree in biomedical engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, in 2012, where she is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation.
She combines her research with a position of Teaching Assistant with Ghent University, where she gives exercises on basic control engineering and focuses on educa...Show More
Amélie Chevalier was born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1988. She received the M.Sc. degree in biomedical engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, in 2012, where she is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation.
She combines her research with a position of Teaching Assistant with Ghent University, where she gives exercises on basic control engineering and focuses on educa...View more
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Cosmin Copot received the M.Sc. and M.E. degrees in systems engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control techniques for visual servoing systems from the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iaşi, Iaşi, Romania, in 2007, 2008, and 2011, respectively.
He is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher with Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. His current research interests include robotics, visual servoing systems, identification, an...Show More
Cosmin Copot received the M.Sc. and M.E. degrees in systems engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control techniques for visual servoing systems from the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iaşi, Iaşi, Romania, in 2007, 2008, and 2011, respectively.
He is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher with Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. His current research interests include robotics, visual servoing systems, identification, an...View more
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Clara Ionescu (S’06–M’08) received the M.Sc. degree in industrial informatics and automation from the Dunarea de Jos University of Galaţi, Galaţi, Romania, in 2003, and the Ph.D. degree from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, researching on the identification of the human respiratory system with noninteger order models.
Her master’s thesis research was performed with Ghent University, developing a noninteger-order parametri...Show More
Clara Ionescu (S’06–M’08) received the M.Sc. degree in industrial informatics and automation from the Dunarea de Jos University of Galaţi, Galaţi, Romania, in 2003, and the Ph.D. degree from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, researching on the identification of the human respiratory system with noninteger order models.
Her master’s thesis research was performed with Ghent University, developing a noninteger-order parametri...View more
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Robin De Keyser received the M.Sc. degree in electro-mechanical engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, in 1974 and 1980, respectively.
He is currently a Full Professor of control engineering with the Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University. He has authored/co-authored about 300 publications in journals, books, and conference proceedings. He acted as an External Revie...Show More
Robin De Keyser received the M.Sc. degree in electro-mechanical engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, in 1974 and 1980, respectively.
He is currently a Full Professor of control engineering with the Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University. He has authored/co-authored about 300 publications in journals, books, and conference proceedings. He acted as an External Revie...View more

Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Amélie Chevalier was born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1988. She received the M.Sc. degree in biomedical engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, in 2012, where she is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation.
She combines her research with a position of Teaching Assistant with Ghent University, where she gives exercises on basic control engineering and focuses on educational tools for control engineering students. Her current research interests include control of industrial and biological systems with a main focus on the biomechanics of the knee joint.
Amélie Chevalier was born in Ghent, Belgium, in 1988. She received the M.Sc. degree in biomedical engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, in 2012, where she is currently pursuing the Ph.D. degree with the Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation.
She combines her research with a position of Teaching Assistant with Ghent University, where she gives exercises on basic control engineering and focuses on educational tools for control engineering students. Her current research interests include control of industrial and biological systems with a main focus on the biomechanics of the knee joint.View more
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Cosmin Copot received the M.Sc. and M.E. degrees in systems engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control techniques for visual servoing systems from the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iaşi, Iaşi, Romania, in 2007, 2008, and 2011, respectively.
He is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher with Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. His current research interests include robotics, visual servoing systems, identification, and control.
Cosmin Copot received the M.Sc. and M.E. degrees in systems engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control techniques for visual servoing systems from the Gheorghe Asachi Technical University of Iaşi, Iaşi, Romania, in 2007, 2008, and 2011, respectively.
He is currently a Post-Doctoral Researcher with Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium. His current research interests include robotics, visual servoing systems, identification, and control.View more
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Clara Ionescu (S’06–M’08) received the M.Sc. degree in industrial informatics and automation from the Dunarea de Jos University of Galaţi, Galaţi, Romania, in 2003, and the Ph.D. degree from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, researching on the identification of the human respiratory system with noninteger order models.
Her master’s thesis research was performed with Ghent University, developing a noninteger-order parametric model of the human respiratory system impedance. She is involved in several international projects, with both industrial and biomedical applications, for identification and control. Her current research interests include biomedical applications, with identification and advanced control objectives.
Clara Ionescu (S’06–M’08) received the M.Sc. degree in industrial informatics and automation from the Dunarea de Jos University of Galaţi, Galaţi, Romania, in 2003, and the Ph.D. degree from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, researching on the identification of the human respiratory system with noninteger order models.
Her master’s thesis research was performed with Ghent University, developing a noninteger-order parametric model of the human respiratory system impedance. She is involved in several international projects, with both industrial and biomedical applications, for identification and control. Her current research interests include biomedical applications, with identification and advanced control objectives.View more
Department of Electrical Energy, Systems and Automation, Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium
Robin De Keyser received the M.Sc. degree in electro-mechanical engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, in 1974 and 1980, respectively.
He is currently a Full Professor of control engineering with the Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University. He has authored/co-authored about 300 publications in journals, books, and conference proceedings. He acted as an External Review Expert in several European Commission research programs and is one of the pioneers who produced the original concepts of predictive control during the 1980s. His teaching and research activities include model predictive control, auto-tuning and adaptive control, modeling and simulation, and system identification. His current research interest includes application-driven, with many pilot implementations in technical and nontechnical systems, including chemical, steel, marine, mechatronic, semiconductor, power electronics, and biomedical.
Robin De Keyser received the M.Sc. degree in electro-mechanical engineering and the Ph.D. degree in control engineering from Ghent University, Ghent, Belgium, in 1974 and 1980, respectively.
He is currently a Full Professor of control engineering with the Faculty of Engineering, Ghent University. He has authored/co-authored about 300 publications in journals, books, and conference proceedings. He acted as an External Review Expert in several European Commission research programs and is one of the pioneers who produced the original concepts of predictive control during the 1980s. His teaching and research activities include model predictive control, auto-tuning and adaptive control, modeling and simulation, and system identification. His current research interest includes application-driven, with many pilot implementations in technical and nontechnical systems, including chemical, steel, marine, mechatronic, semiconductor, power electronics, and biomedical.View more
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