Technical Articles

Teaching and Learning Resources: Project-Based Learning


Project-based learning uses active learning techniques and gives students direct exposure to hardware and software. By extending the approach to incorporate industry-standard software such as MATLAB and Simulink, instructors not only keep students motivated but also prepare them for a range of careers. Simulink enables these goals with built-in support for interfacing with low-cost hardware, including Arduino®, BeagleBoard, and LEGO® MINDSTORMS® NXT platforms. This built-in support is also available in MATLAB and Simulink Student Version.

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Mechatronics and Controls

Arduino, when used with Simulink, enables students to develop algorithms that interface with a variety of peripherals and electronics for mechatronics and control systems. Students can develop software in Simulink, implement algorithms as standalone applications, and tune parameters while the application is running.

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Control Systems Engineering, 7e
by Norman S. Nise, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Advanced Mechatronics: Monitoring and Control of Spatially Distributed Systems
by Dan Necsulescu, World Scientific Publishing Co.

Basic Engineering Circuit Analysis, 11e
by J. David Irwin and R. Mark Nelms, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

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Signal Processing

BeagleBoard provides a low-cost platform for teaching audio processing and computer vision applications. By using Simulink with BeagleBoard, students can verify their algorithms during simulation and then implement them as standalone applications.

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Robotics

LEGO MINDSTORMS NXT and Simulink offer an environment that lets students model, simulate, and design algorithms for a range of robotics applications. The platform is also widely used for teaching programming.

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Robotics, Vision and Control: Fundamental Algorithms in MATLAB
By Peter Corke, Springer

Mobile Robots: Navigation, Control and Remote Sensing
By Gerald Cook, John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

Simulation of Dynamic Systems with MATLAB and Simulink, 3e
By Harold Klee and Randal Allen, CRC Press, Inc.

Published 2012 - 92050v00