A Multidisciplinary Model For Using Robotics In Engineering Education
Xudong Yu, William White, Scott Smith, Keqin Gu, Jerry B. Weinberg, Cem Karacal, George L. Engel
Abstract
The use of robotics to provide hands-on instruction across the various disciplines of engineering and computer science is no longer the prohibitively expensive proposition it once was. With the emergence of inexpensive robot kits that encompass a background in electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, industrial engineering, and computer science, robotics can now play a central role in the education of students in these disciplines. A critical obstacle to this goal, however, is the lack of familiarity that students in each discipline have for the other fields of study, making a thorough understanding of overall robotics design principles quite difficult. This paper presents a model for multidisciplinary cooperation that alleviates this problem and elevates robotics to a potentially pivotal position in engineering education.