Laboratory Development For Robotics And Automation Education Using Internet Based Technology

This paper describes laboratory and curriculum development integrated with Internet based robotics and automation for engineering technology education. Drexel University’s Applied Engineering Technology Program received a NSF CCLI grant to develop a series of laboratory courses in the area of internet based robotics and automation in manufacturing. The development efforts include industrial partnership with Yamaha Robotics, restructured and advanced courses in applied engineering program curriculum, and laboratory activities integrated with network technologies. The instructional materials for Internet based robotics and automation education utilized Robotics and Mechatronics lab as the experiments of choice. The application-oriented curriculum, which is validated by the industry, has been developed with the goal of producing graduates ready to work in engineering technology. The new Internet based techniques allow the remotely situated students to program, control, and monitor the robotic operations through the Internet using the Windows-based graphical user interface. This also allows the integration of robots and automation into the information networks and easy access through the Internet for design and manufacturing. The paper also covers the new learning technology through the lab development for teaching of the remote monitoring/control of robots and programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and how to effectively deliver internet based robotics and automation education through the Internet.