Application of the PBL methodology at the B.Sc. in industrial electronics and automation engineering

Abstract

This work describes one application of the PBL (Project Based Learning) methodology at the curriculum of the “Industrial Informatics” module of the B.Sc. Degree in Industrial Electronics and Automation, taught at the University College of Engineering of Vitoria-Gasteiz. The choice of this methodology is based on the project orientation expected for the future engineers. Authors intended to reproduce, at reduced scale, the problematic of working in multidisciplinary teams with strict completion times. This approach forced students to get involved in the learning process while carrying out the tasks. During the process, students detected the learning needs by themselves in order to accomplish the project, and had to learn how to apply, in a proactive and autonomous way, the necessary techniques during the project implementation. Instructors proposed implementing a controller for a SCARA robot, which is a typical configuration found in industrial environments. Students take the “Industrial Informatics” module (first semester) previously to the “Robotics” module (second semester) of the third year, so the authors proposed a simplified configuration for the SCARA robot with only two degrees of freedom (2DoF). The scale model of the robot was built with the LEGO Mindstorms NXT kit, which provides an interesting flexibility/price compromise. This approach forced students to apply concepts acquired in previous modules, as well as skills and techniques that will be of use in the future.