New Modes of Instructions for Electrical Engineering Course Offered to Non- Electrical Engineering Majors

An issue of “too abstract and not too visible” ECE content materials was often cited by non electrical engineering majors when pursuing an electrical engineering course. Close scrutiny to the issues suggests that new modes of instructions are to be pursued in order to meet students’ satisfaction and successful delivery of the course. The ECE20400 “Electrical and Electronics Circuits”, a required course for the mechanical engineering program, has been offered for near 10 years in the department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at our school with the traditional text book format, covering linear circuits and digital electronics with a lab that is integrated with the course materials. Feedback from ME students throughout the years, has led to the new approach covered in this paper. New modes of instructions using mechanical/electrical system analogy, attached learning with real engineering applications to each section of the course, and project based portfolio with students’ engagement in multidisciplinary teams. In the latter, designated assignments to group individuals has led to positive impact on the course. In this paper, we are providing the new approach on the modified course in recent offering at our campus. Feedback from summer 2105 in addition to fall 2015 will be incorporated to the outcomes of the new development. With the advancement of integrated electrical systems from sub-micron integrated circuit technology to high frequency Wi-Fi wireless applications and as global market competition demands systems with enhanced functionalities and yet - lower cost, lighter weight and smaller size - the role of mechanical engineers in a multidisciplinary team in the workplace is highly critical in the success of the system design and performance. The non-electrical disciplines such as manufacturing, packaging, board layout, wire bonding, heat transfer, etc. have a profound impact on an electrical design. It is critical that non-EE team members know the basic electronics. To boost students’ interest, this message is conveyed to a mostly mechanical engineering student population in this required introductory analog / digital course. In addition, peer led teams from class present effective analogies to observe the connection of electrical engineering concepts to mechanical engineering equivalence. These, in addition to circuit simulation and hands-on laboratory experiments, encourage creative thinking, teamwork and active class participation, in an effort to prepare students in the global work force. Students’ feedback from summer 2015 supported much of the new modes detailed in this paper

Renewable energies course for Energy Engineering students at the Technical University of Catalonia (UPC)

Since September 2016, the Technical University of Catalonia (Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, UPC) – BarcelonaTech has a new Campus in Barcelona City, the Diagonal-Besòs Campus. In this new Campus appears the Eastern Barcelona School of Engineering (Escola d’Enginyeria de Barcelona Est, EEBE), with new Bachelor’s and Master’s Degrees. In this framework, also since September 2016, the EEBE is offering the new 4-year Bachelor’s Degree in Energy Engineering with a total number of 240 ECTS credits. Current article deals with the inclusion of the course about sizing and design of renewable energy systems in the context of this degree. In particular, and although this topic was eventually abandoned in the initial degree curriculum, the paper presents the development of a 3rd-year course, Renewable Energies, that focuses on this topic.Postprint (published version

Solar energy systems course for Energy Engineering students in the context of the European higher education area

The Bologna Process is a voluntary intergovernmental European cooperation initiative that led to the creation of the named European Higher Education Area (EHEA). EHEA was formed to promote mobility, increase academic recognition and attract students and staff from around the world to Europe. In this framework, since 2009, the Barcelona College of Industrial Engineering (Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Industrial de Barcelona – EUETIB) of the Technical University of Catalonia – BarcelonaTech (UPC) is offering the 4-year Bachelor Degree in Energy Engineering since 2009 with a total number of ECTS credits of 240. Current article deals with the inclusion of the sizing and design of solar energy systems in the context of this degree. In particular, and although this topic was eventually abandoned in the initial degree curriculum, the paper deals with the development of a 3rd-year course, Energy Integration, that focuses on this topic.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

A Survey of Digital Systems Curriculum and Pedagogy in Electrical and Computer Engineering Programs

Digital Systems is one of the basic foundational courses in Electrical and Computer Engineering. One of the challenges in designing and modifying the curriculum for the course is the fast pace of technology change in the area. TTL chips that were in vogue with students building physical circuits, have given way to new paradigms like FPGA based synthesis with hardware description languages such as VHDL. However, updating a course is not as simple as just changing the book, and changing the syllabus. A large amount of work needs to be done in terms of selecting the book that will accommodate the course, the device that should be used, the laboratory content, and even how much time needs to be dedicated for every topic. All these issues, and many more makes it hard to take the decision of updating the course. For that reason, this paper surveys the pedagogy and methodology that is used to teach the digital systems curriculum at different universities. The goal is that it will serve as a resource for faculty looking to update or revamp their digital systems curricula. Within the document they will find a comparative study by electrical and computer engineering program, a list of textbooks, and the devices most commonly used.Cockrell School of Engineerin

Agent-based simulation of the learning dissemination on a Project-Based Learning context considering the human aspects

This work presents an agent-based simulation (ABS) of the active learning process in an Electrical Engineering course. In order to generate input data to the simulation, an active learning methodology developed especially for part-time degree courses, called Project-Based Learning Agile (PBLA), has been proposed and implemented at the Regional University of Blumenau (FURB), Brazil. Through the analysis of survey responses obtained over five consecutive semesters, using partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM), it was possible to generate data parameters to use as an input in a hybrid kind of agent-based simulation known as PLS agent. The simulation of the scenario suggests that the learning occur faster when the student has higher levels of humanist's aspects as self-esteem, self-realization and cooperation.Comment: 8 pages, 6 figures, minor correction

Path planning algorithm for a car like robot based on Coronoi Diagram Method

The purpose of this study is to develop an efficient offline path planning algorithm that is capable of finding optimal collision-free paths from a starting point to a goal point. The algorithm is based on Voronoi diagram method for the environment representation combined with Dijkstra’s algorithm to find the shortest path. Since Voronoi diagram path exhibits sharp corners and redundant turns, path tracking was applied considering the robot’s kinematic constraints. The results has shown that the Voronoi diagram path planning method recorded fast computational time as it provides simpler, faster and efficient path finding. The final path, after considering robot’s kinematic constraints, provides shorter path length and smoother compared to the original one. The final path can be tuned to the desired path by tuning the parameter setting; velocity, v and minimum turning radius, Rmin. In comparison with the Cell Decomposition method, it shows that Voronoi diagram has a faster computation time. This leads to the reduced cost in terms of time. The findings of this research have shown that Voronoi Diagram and Dijkstra’s Algorithm are a good combination in the path planning problem in terms of finding a safe and shortest path

A Software Radio Challenge Accelerating Education and Innovation in Wireless Communications

This Innovative Practice Full Paper presents our methodology and tools for introducing competition in the electrical engineering curriculum to accelerate education and innovation in wireless communications. Software radio or software-defined radio (SDR) enables wireless technology, systems and standards education where the student acts as the radio developer or engineer. This is still a huge endeavor because of the complexity of current wireless systems and the diverse student backgrounds. We suggest creating a competition among student teams to potentiate creativity while leveraging the SDR development methodology and open-source tools to facilitate cooperation. The proposed student challenge follows the European UEFA Champions League format, which includes a qualification phase followed by the elimination round or playoffs. The students are tasked to build an SDR transmitter and receiver following the guidelines of the long-term evolution standard. The metric is system performance. After completing this course, the students will be able to (1) analyze alternative radio design options and argue about their benefits and drawbacks and (2) contribute to the evolution of wireless standards. We discuss our experiences and lessons learned with particular focus on the suitability of the proposed teaching and evaluation methodology and conclude that competition in the electrical engineering classroom can spur innovation.Comment: Frontiers in Education 2018 (FIE 2018

Controls and guidance research

The objectives of the control group are concentrated on research and education. The control problem of the hypersonic space vehicle represents an important and challenging issue in aerospace engineering. The work described in this report is part of our effort in developing advanced control strategies for such a system. In order to achieve the objectives stated in the NASA-CORE proposal, the tasks were divided among the group based upon their educational expertise. Within the educational component we are offering a Linear Systems and Control course for students in electrical and mechanical engineering. Also, we are proposing a new course in Digital Control Systems with a corresponding laboratory

Technology and management of large-scale programs Semiannual progress report

Technology and management of large scale program

Genuine lab experiences for students in resource constrained environments: The RealLab with integrated intelligent assessment.

Laboratory activities are indispensable for developing engineering skills. Computer Aided Learning (CAL) tools can be used to enhance laboratory learning in various ways, the latest approach being the virtual laboratory technique that emulates traditional laboratory processes. This new approach makes it possible to give students complete and genuine laboratory experiences in situations constrained by limited resources in the provision of laboratory facilities and infrastructure and/or where there is need for laboratory education, for large classes, with only one laboratory stand. This may especially be the case in countries in transition. Most existing virtual laboratories are not available for purchase. Where they are, they may not be cost friendly for resource constrained environments. Also, most do not integrate any form of assessment structure. In this paper, we present a very cost friendly virtual laboratory solution for genuine laboratory experiences in resource constrained environments, with integrated intelligent assessment