Implementation of a New Engineering Approach for Undergraduate Control System Curriculum using a Robotic System

Traditional engineering education at university level has many limitations which has prompted the growth of newer approaches. On such an approach is CDIO which stands for Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate. CDIO is an innovative initiative, which offers an alternative educational framework for producing better-prepared and highly skilled engineering graduates. The students learn to solve problems and complete projects following stages such as Conceive, Design, Implement and Operate. To improve the teaching and learning of engineering students, the CDIO initiative aims to make four important improvements; increases active and hands-on learning, emphasizes problem formulation and solution, explores the underlying concepts of the tools and techniques of engineering, and institute innovative and exciting ways of gathering feedback. This paper discusses the use a parking and 3-point turn robotic system to learn control system curriculum in terms of modeling (classical and modern control), analysis (transient, stability and steady state error) and design (PID) using the CDIO approach.