A multi-institutional interdisciplinary distance controls experiment: Bringing engineering and engineering technology students together

The University of Kentucky (UK) Extended Campus Programs in Paducah along with Murray State University (MuSU) have developed the first experiment in what is expected to become a sequence of projects involving students in mechanical engineering technology enrolled at MuSU and mechanical and chemical engineering students at UK. This collaborative effort involves utilizing the design skills of the UK students to develop transfer functions required to model and design a control system for an Electrohydraulic Actuation (EHA) position control apparatus located in the Motion Control Laboratory on the MuSU campus. MuSU students use their hands-on skills to develop the hardware system and implement the control scheme. Students at UK and MuSU then jointly (via the Internet) operate the equipment, conduct experiments, report observations, troubleshoot problems, and evaluate both success and failure. In addition to the practical experience in controls education, students at both campuses learn about the sort of interaction engineers and technologists typically have in the workplace and develop an appreciation for their symbiotic professional relationship. Future work will involve students from both institutions working together in close contact, further developing the understanding and appreciation of the roles each will fill in the future; extending the projects to include systems of interest to chemical engineers; and involving students located at the main campus of the University of Kentucky in the projects.