A Low-Cost Dynamic Plant and Data Acquisition System for Laboratory Courses on Control Systems and Mechatronics

Hands-on experiments for upper-level engineering courses greatly enhance student enthusiasm, core-concept comprehension and retention. Given the high cost of commercial instructional control systems lab equipment, we sought to provide an affordable, robust solution to hands-on learning, without compromising technical caliber. To this end, we have developed a low-cost dynamic plant and data acquisition Haptic Paddle system for control systems and mechatronics laboratory courses. A Haptic Paddle is a single degree-of-freedom force-feedback joystick that is well-suited to be used as a test bed for both basic and advanced concepts in system dynamics, control theory, mechatronics, haptics and enables students to physically interact with simulated dynamic systems. Our novel hardware design offers a robust solution to repeated laboratory use at a cost that greatly facilitates the number of lab setups available for student use to significantly enhance the opportunity for hands-on learning.