ECC 2014: The Places You Can Meet Quanser

The researchers and engineers gathering in Strasbourg, France for this year's European Control Conference, will be quite busy for the next few days. The premier controls event in Europe offers them a packed program from June 24 to June 27.

Throughout the conference, the delegates will have several opportunities to meet with Quanser: in the exhibit area, the Quanser booth will showcase several demos of research platforms used by researchers around the world to validate their theoretical concepts. Some of them are actually presenting their work at ECC 2014. If you are attending the conference, you can joint the session on Wednesday, June 25 at 5.20 pm, when the research team from the University of Southampton is presenting their paper Design of Control Functions for an Internet-Based Tele-Robotic Laboratory.

Quanser devices offer a highly efficient platform for bridging the theory-implementation gap, allowing to adopt a framework of hardware in the loop (HIL) implementation of the control system that integrates a physical system (the plant) with dynamics of sufficient realism for physically relevant testing, and a real-time computational and modeling framework that allows for rapid testing of algorithms and concepts. Using such a combination, researchers are able to readily validate their research concepts with a physical system. To learn more, download our whitepaper. You can also visit our database of research papers.

ASEE 2014: Your Chance to Win a QUBE-Servo Experiment

Talk to Quanser engineerins at the booth 1611

If you are planning to attend this year's Annual ASEE Conference and Expo in Indiannapolis, I'd like to invite you to the Quanser booth 1611 to discuss the exciting developments taking place at Quanser these days. Stop by to talk to our academic solutions advisors how we can help you enhance teaching controls and revitalize the undergraduate control systems lab experience of your students.


You will also have a chance to win a QUBE-Servo, a teaching platform with fully integrated components, ideal for introducing students to basic control concepts. QUBE-Servo comes with modern, flexible and open source courseware that you can easily integrate into your existing course, without having to spend time on developing lab exercises and materials.

Our team is looking forward to seeing you at the ASEE 2014 Conference and talking to you about your teaching and research needs.

WEBINAR: From Classic Control to Complex Mechatronic System Design

Traditional control systems courses are based on the mathematical and signal science framework developed in the mid twentieth century. The standard undergraduate course is based largely on characterizing and analyzing system dynamics through differential equations and Laplace transform-based transfer functions. Modern control systems are complex combination of such models and analysis, and system-level considerations from computer control. Often we call such computer control techniques mechatronics and at most institutions, mechatronic design focuses on the embedded programming aspect disassociated from system dynamics.

In the upcoming webinar on June 10, we will present some novel initiatives of Quanser, in collaboration with leading universities, to unify conventional, classic control with systems-oriented mechatronic design.

Join us to discuss best ways to revitalize the undergraduate control systems lab experience. Register today!

WEBINAR: Enhancing Controls Education with the QUBE-Servo

The Quanser QUBE™-Servo is an affordable, fully-integrated rotary servo experiment designed for teaching students control concepts relevant to real world. Built with the same quality and precision that Quanser is renowned for, the QUBE-Servo provides instructors with a state of the art controls lab that will engage students in any engineering discipline.

In this webinar you will:

• Explore the QUBE-Servo and its easy-to-attach inertia disk and pendulum modules, as well as USB, direct I/O and the new NI myRIO connectivity options,
• Learn how to use the QUBE-Servo with MATLAB/Simulink or LabVIEW, and Quanser rapid control prototyping software QUARC or RCP Toolkit,
• Tour the flexible digital media-based courseware and textbook map that can help you seamlessly integrate the QUBE-Servo into your curriculum.

Seats are limited - register today!

Quanser Joins Experts to Discuss Transformations in Engineering Education

In a few days, engineering educators from around the world will meet in Indian city of Hubli for the International Conference on Transformations in Engineering Education (ICTIEE). The conference, hosted by BVB College of Engineering and Technology (BVBCET) on January 16 - 18, 2014, will offer a forum to share best practices in improving learning outcomes at engineering institutions.

Quanser joins the conference organizers, supporters, including Indo-US Collaboration for Engineering Education (IUCEE), the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES), the Global Engineering Deans Council (GEDC) and the American Society for Engineering Education (ASEE) and TEQIP, a program of the Government of India.

The conference delegates will not only have a chance to learn about hands-on lab experiments for controls, mechatronics and robotics education, they will also have a chance to get their own hands-on experience with them during the Innovative Hands-on Lab Techniques workshop on January 16.

During the workshop, Michel Levis, Applications Engineer at Quanser and Keith Blanchet, Quanser's Director of Business Development will introduce new developments in hands-on undergraduate labs that increase motivation and provide industry-relevant skills to students. Participants will use Quanser's new QUBE™-Servo servomotor system, and learn about its functionality and engaging control experiments ranging from introductory to more advanced control applications. They will also learn more about Quanser's rapid control prototyping software and how it helps accelerate controls education.

The second part of the workshop will be focused on curriculum innovations, including modern digital media courseware that allows for efficient way of developing and delivering course material. Participants will experience Quanser's new Visual Hardware in the Loop Simulation approach to engineering systems study, bonding conventional control techniques to motivating real-world applications, in a visual virtual reality-style exercise and without losing the depth and rigor of conventional theory.

The conference delegates can learn more about Quanser's approach to transformations in engineering education at a lunch keynote presented by Paul Gilbert, Quanser CEO, on January 18.

Quanser-NI Platform for Controls Demonstrated at NIDays Boston, November 5

We would like to invite you to join Quanser at the inaugural NIDays 2013 in Boston on November 5.

The full-featured technical conference is designed for research and academic engineers interested in aerospace and defense applications. It gives you an opportunity to learn about the latest technologies, best practices and trends for designing test, measurement and embedded systems.

See the unique Quanser-NI platform for controls education and research in action.
Stop by the Quanser booth 105 to see live demonstrations of systems using Quanser and NI hardware and software tools and learn how you can reduce the time required to design and prototype controllers and greatly simplify the hardware implementation. We are looking forward to seeing you in Boston.

Register today to secure your spot!

Quanser-NI Seminar at Georgia Tech Introduces a Unique Platform for Controls Education & Research

On Thursday, November 14, Quanser and NI bring their unique platform for controls education and research to Georgia Tech.

In the seminar titled "A comprehensive hardware and software framework for modern control systems research and education" Quanser and NI engineers offer a detailed introduction to the new hardware and software platform designed by Quanser and NI to:

• offer a smoother and more efficient process for a broad range of control system applications in research and education,
• reduce the time required to design and prototype controllers and greatly simplify the hardware implementation,
• bring an integrated workflow to the engineering labs: from modelling to analysis, controller design, high performance data I/O and real time control, plant systems, and end-user software environments,
• cover the entire academic usage spectrum: from undergraduate teaching labs for introductory control through to advanced courses and graduate courses, and ultimately to a broad range of research application.

Collectively, the companies' pooled portfolio of products is emerging as a more efficient and effective option over the traditional multi-vendor platforms. This seminar will provide concrete information, case studies, and demonstrations on how such an integrated approach to control systems can improve research and teaching.

Seminar program:
11:00 AM - Harmonizing the disconnect: the vision and goals of the Quanser-NI platform.
Presenter: Dr. Tom Lee, Chief Education Officer, Quanser

11:30 AM - The development process for a complex UAV application focusing on the new NI myRIO embedded platform.
Presenter: Paul Karam, Director of Engineering, Quanser

12:00 PM  - Complimentary lunch

12:30 PM - Accelerating controller design and prototyping in LabVIEW for principal areas of control research and education.
Presenter: Dan Nelson, Marketing Engineer, Controls, NI

1:00 PM - Developing complex controllers using LabVIEW and Quanser RCP Toolkit - detailed technical demonstration
Presenter: Amirpasha Javid, Academic Solutions Advisor, Quanser

1:30 PM - Open Discussion and Q&A

Register for the seminar today!

Making Sense out of the "Flipped" Campus: ECEDHA Webinar

The so-called "flipped" campus prescribes that the mechanical details of engineering concepts be learned independently, while the faculty-led classroom experience be focused on synthesis and application of core concepts. In many academic circles, this is generating vigorous debate as we try to reconcile what we are all used to and have been trained to do, with the promised benefits of the flipped world.

Dr. Tom Lee, Quanser's Chief Education Officer explores the concept of "flipped" campus and how it can enhance traditional undergraduate labs and help trigger improvements in education and research in an ECE Webinar on November 12.

Making sense out of the "flipped" campus with new approaches to hands on labs
In his webinar, Dr. Lee will present a case for modern interpretations of the traditional hands-on undergraduate labs which can still offer a great opportunity for engineering schools to efficiently flip their classrooms and trigger improvements in education and potentially even research.

The hands-on lab was, from the outset, an effort to introduce concept synthesis into the curriculum and it is the place where theory meets reality and practical insights emerge from the foundational theoretical knowledge. In essence, this is what the flipped classroom promises to do. The key difference, today, is that the flipped strategy inherently takes advantage of modern technology and media frameworks and if we are not careful, even the best among the traditional labs will become stale and ineffective. Dr. Lee will present new techniques emerging from institutions and industry that are enriching the modern concept of the lab and additionally, make these labs of the near future, a vibrant dimension of the flipped campus. He will discuss some of the techniques, including bonding strong industrially-relevant concepts to undergrad labs; frameworks for off-campus hands-on labs; and the role of mathematics and modelling in an enriched lab experience and illustrate them with case studies.

Quanser is proud to partner with Electrical and Computer Engineering Department Heads Association (ECEDHA) to launch the association's new ECE Webinar series with an event on November 12.

Click here to register for the webinar.

As Chief Education Officer at Quanser, Tom Lee is focused on spearheading the development of Quanser's global academic community. He is closely involved with Quanser's technology and solution development process and the company's partner and alliance programs. He holds a PhD in Mechanical Engineering, and an MASc and BASc in Systems Design Engineering from the University of Waterloo.

Webinar: Engaging and Effective Controls Education

If you are looking for ways to make teaching controls more engaging and effective, the new interactive webcast series presented by National Instruments is a great opportunity to explore latest solutions for hands-on controls teaching and get useful tips from your peers.

We invite you to join the webcast Controls, Robotics and Mechatronics sessions on Friday, November 1 to learn more about:

• NI-Quanser platform for controls education seamlessly integrating NI and Quanser technologies and engaging students by putting theory into practice.
  Register for the 30 minut webcast session "Create Engaging Learning Experiences for Students in Controls Education" starting at 1:00 pm CT
• Purdue University implementing NI and Quanser tools in a control systems course, enabling students to progress from design to prototyping in just one semester.
  Register for the 30 minut webcast session "Bridging from Controls Courses to Final-Year Design" presented by Galen King, Professor of Mechanical Engineering at Purdue University, starting at 1:30 pm CT

With your webcast registration NI also gives you a chance to win a hardware you can use in your control lab, such as NI ELVIS, NI myRIO and more.

For the full Engineering Education Interactive Webcast Series program, click here.

Teaching Control More Effectively Using Immersive Virtual Environments

Last month I had an opportunity to travel to the 10^th annual International Federation of Automatic Control (IFAC) Symposium on Advances in Control Education (ACE) in Sheffield, England. The ACE Symposium offers controls educators from around the world an opportunity to meet and share ideas and strategies to advance controls education. Discussion topics ranged from remote and web-based learning systems to the fundamentals of control engineering pedagogy.

I presented a paper on behalf of Quanser documenting our recent experiences teaching undergraduate, graduate, and capstone level controls at the University of Toronto. Our approach to controls education was focused on real-world applications of controls topics through virtual environments and hands-on experience.

Peter Martin, a curriculum developer at Quanser, presented a paper at the ACE Symposium 2013 on recent experiences using the Quanser Driving Simulator virtual environment to teach undergraduate, graduate and capstone level controls at the University of Toronto.

An example of this approach is the Quanser Driving Simulator (QDS), a dynamic, real-time hardware-in-the-Loop simulation and high fidelity 3D representation of an automotive vehicle that can be driven in a closed virtual environment. At first glance it appears to be an exciting automotive video game, but in actuality, it’s a highly motivating, interactive controls teaching tool.

Jacob Apkarian, Quanser’s Founder and Chief Technology Officer, conceived the QDS concept and Quanser’s team of engineers made it a reality two years ago.

Last week Jacob and I began our third session using the QDS to teach graduate controls at the University of Toronto. Student reaction to the QDS system, and our teaching approach has been extremely positive. Based on word of mouth, this year’s graduate controls class size has grown significantly, with 25 full-time, part-time and visiting students from the University of Toronto, McMaster University in Hamilton, Ontario, and educational institutions in China and Germany.

The new semester has begun and we’re very excited about continuing our efforts to revolutionize the way controls education can be taught around the world. As this immersive, virtual environment approach to teaching grows, we’ll continue to share its progress with you.

- Peter Martin

Curriculum Developer, Quanser

Latest Control Validation Techniques to be Highlighted at SICE 2013

If you are planning to be at this year’s SICE Annual Conference in Nagoya, Japan, we invite you to attend the September 14^th workshop titled “Advanced Test Rigs and Validation Platforms for Control Systems”. Presented by Quanser, National Instruments (NI) and Nanzan University, this workshop offers an overview of the latest control theory validation techniques being used in Japan and globally for a range of advanced control research applications.

The workshop will be led by Dr. Isao Takami of Nanzan University and Dr. Tom Lee of Quanser. Dr. Takami, a specialist in control, systems and reliability engineering will show how Nanzan University researchers use Quanser - NI technology to validate their research in Robust Control, Adaptive Control and Particle Swarm Optimization.

Dr. Lee, Quanser’s Chief Education Officer, will discuss how researchers in North America are using Quanser – NI technology to validate their work in applications such as Aircraft Dynamics and Rehabilitation Robotics.  Dr. Lee will also discuss “Applications in Education” by giving examples of immersive visualization techniques that bring control experiments to life as real-life hardware-in-the-loop applications.

This conference workshop promises to be a stimulating look at the latest trends in testing and validating advanced controls research projects. See you at Nagoya University on Saturday, September 14^th, 1 p.m. to 4:15 p.m!

The New NI myRIO Brings Out the Kid in Quanser at NIWeek 2013

What would compel 4,000 smart people to travel to Texas in August, only to braise in 40° C (105° F, y’all), full humidity heat for an entire week? Well, if you are an engineering enthusiast (AKA nerd) like me, you are attending NIWeek in Austin. Every year, on meteorologically the worst possible week of the year, our friends at National Instruments (NI) host a celebration of technology, and engineering heroism unlike any other event in the world. As per usual, Team Quanser was there to share in the fun. 

NIWeek has become the event where Quanser engineers truly strut our stuff… our digital dazzle… scientific sassy… mechatronic mojo. Not so much for some well-thought-out marketing rationale to clearly demonstrate the core benefits of our solutions, but because it’s the one time of the year where the engineers are unashamedly engineers… builders, explorers, rascals, tinkerers. 

Cameron Fulford, Engineering Manager, and Tom Lee, Chief Education Officer, both of Quanser, prepare to fly the Qball X-4 quadrotor, Quanser’s flagship UAV platform, with the newly introduced NI myRIO embedded hardware device.

This year, we sure did have fun. One of the key highlights of the conference for NI was the launch of their latest (and truly sick) product, the NI myRIO, a richly featured embedded computing platform that is pointed directly at students who are itching to break away from their desktop chains and make mobile magic happen. Unlike other hobby platforms, the myRIO is a true NI solution with all of the robustness and support software features that will make the difference between real engineering and hacking for students.

Quanser was one of the few privileged groups to get a prototype unit well ahead of launch so that we could get a head start on integration into our product line and maybe even develop a couple of demos in time for the launch. So a sensible company would have used this opportunity to create interesting demos on how the myRIO, when combined with our devices, can offer richer educational experiences. 

NIWEEK is one of the world’s most important engineering conferences. This year’s event featured the launch of the revolutionary NI myRIO device, a richly featured embedded computing platform that allows students to work outside the lab to design real projects quickly.

What did we do? We strapped it on to our flagship unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) platform, the Qball X4 quadrotor, and flew it around the conference, generally delighting people with the sheer cool factor and occasionally annoying people with the ear-assaulting hum of the Qball’s research-grade motors.

The Qball is one of Quanser’s most celebrated research platforms. Bleeding edge research groups around the world to validate complex algorithms for multi-agent unmanned vehicle experiments (i.e. intelligent, collaborative robots). Unfortunately, prior to this year, there really was no practical way to have the Qball work on the NI platform simply because there was no embedded platform capable and rich enough to do all the things that the Qball does… until the myRIO.

The end result, as we say in Canada was, “beauty eh?” It was truly impressive. Not just the fact that the Qball, powered by myRIO, flew crisply and in a well-controlled way, but the actual integration process was surprisingly smooth.

As we illustrated during our demo at the keynote, the work that NI has invested in a full range of multitalented express VI’s for a whole range of essential subsystems and functions reduced the development effort to a matter of days. We had been bracing ourselves for an effort of weeks (the UAV applications are some of the trickiest) but thankfully we were proven wrong. 

So where do we go from here? When can you buy a Qball V2.0 powered by NI myRIO? When can you feel and breathe the magic yourself? We have no idea. The reality is the Qball is an entire platform with options for optical tracking, and a wide range of experimental applications. It’s so much more than just getting it to fly. It’s also not exactly the kind of product that people buy for use by undergrads. But in the end, I think this was an amazing illustration of the true power and potential of the myRIO platform.

Specs aside, it really brought out the kid among our engineering team and got us to be more creative and ambitious. It was an exciting project. It was a fun project. Thankfully, it was not as hard as we thought. And in the end, it was the right thing to do. 

P.S. I wasn’t totally honest. We actually did do a sensible myRIO thing as well. We announced and demonstrated the upcoming Quanser Terminal Board (QTB) for NI myRIO, a device that quickly connects the myRIO to most of Quanser’s core plants offering users a terrific, new, cost-effective DAQ option for control systems. Yawn.

Quanser to Showcase Game-Style Learning at ACE 2013 in Sheffield, UK

A new generation of engineering student exists today.  It’s made up of young women and men who grew up with computers and computer games, and tend to learn best when working (and playing) in a computer-based, interactive, hands-on lab environment.

Tailoring our hands-on lab learning solutions to suit this new breed of students is a major focus at Quanser. You can see some of our latest work in this area if you are attending the 2013 Advances in Control Education Conference (ACE), August, 28^th – 30^th, at the University of Sheffield, Sheffield , U.K.

Educationally rigorous and fun, the game-style Quanser Driving Simulator is a proven, effective way to motivate students to learn control theory applicable to the automotive industry.

On August 28^th, Quanser curriculum developer Peter Martin will present a paper on the Quanser Driving Simulator (QDS).  The QDS is a hardware-in-the-loop (HIL) application that uses a game-style interactive, immersive 3D display, and context-rich learning objectives and outcomes, all integrated with a more traditional DC motor-based hardware plant. 

As ACE attendees will see, the QDS is designed to be educationally rigorous, involving and fun. In addition, actual implementation experiences for an undergraduate and graduate course at the University of Toronto, Canada, indicate the new, game-style approach enhances students’ motivation and boosts their appreciation of contemporary control engineering practices.

ACE 2013 attendees can learn about Quanser's interactive, hands-on learning approach for today's games-oriented engineering students.

  

This is a great opportunity to find out more about an immersive and highly motivating kind of learning.  Visit Adept Scientific, Quanser's representative in the United Kingdom and Ireland, at their booth to see related Quanser teaching and research hardware in action, specifically the QUBE-Servo, a low cost, self-contained servomotor for undergraduate labs, and the Rotary Servo, our classic core servomotor product.

Click here for more information about the Quanser Driving Simulator.

NEES Chooses Quanser Testbed to Help Judge Bridge Competition

When a leading earthquake engineering organization conducts a national structural bridge competition for undergraduate engineering students, then uses your products to help the judges determine which is the most seismically sound bridge, you might be excused for feeling a little proud.

That’s exactly what happened last May when the Network for Earthquake Engineering Simulation (NEES) held their K’NEX Bridge Competition in Oakland, California. 

With a Quanser Shake Table II system as the testbed, five student teams subjected their 1.5-meter long K’NEX bridges to the seismic simulations of a number of powerful, recorded earthquakes. The team from Oregon State was declared the winner, but all participating teams were the beneficiaries of the competition.

The Quanser Shake Table II (center, under plywood base) was selected to be the testbed that simulated real-life earthquakes at the K’NEX Bridge Competition in May, 2013.  

(Photo courtesy of NEES.)

 Student competitions like this one are excellent learning opportunities because they closely resemble real-world engineering practice. Students have to work with tight deadlines, prescribed materials and other predetermined parameters, just as industry engineers do.

The student team from Oregon State University proudly stands next to their bridge, which was judged most seismically sound at the competition in Oakland. California.  (Photo courtesy of NEES.)

This type of competition fits naturally into the pedagogical approach Quanser has long championed - hands-on learning. We support this approach by offering over80 hands-on, hardware-in-the-loop experiments to engineering educators in controls, robotics and mechatronics. Naturally we couldn’t have been more pleased when a leading organization like NEES, which is dedicated to “developing the next generation of earthquake and tsunami engineers”, chose Quanser lab equipment to help them test, educate and encourage students of earthquake science. NEES’s choice reflects their belief in our shake table’s ease of use, accuracy and reliability.

Confucius said it best more than 2500 years ago: “I hear and I forget. I see and I remember. I do and I understand.” Hands-on education and quality learning tools that Quanser provides are advancing that philosophy today - and helping to educate the global engineers of tomorrow.

Discover the Latest Developments in Controls from Quanser at NIWeek 2013

If you are planning to attend NIWeek 2013 starting on Monday, August 5 in Austin, Texas, visit Quanser and learn about the latest, most exciting developments in the area of controls teaching and research. We'll be out in force and looking forward to an opportunity to talk with you

• at the Quanser booth (#518) with demonstrations and displays of our latest NI-based control hardware and software solutions,
• at the Academic Forum on Monday, August 5, where Dr. Tom Lee, Quanser's Chief Education Officer takes the stage during the keynote presentation to discuss the future of controls education and research.

Meet senior members of the Quanser team to find out more about how Quanser and NI are working together to help professors and researchers achieve their control teaching and research goals more effectively than ever. Or join one of the technical sessions to learn how University of New Mexico 's Innovation Plaza is bridging the gap between math, physics, chemistry and engineering using NI and Quanser tools.

• TS1744 - How the University of New Mexico is Bridging the Gap
  Presented by Ramiro Jordan, ECE Associate Chair, Undergraduate Programs, University of New Mexico
  Monday, August 5, 11 -11.30 AM, Ballroom B

We have plenty of exciting news to share with you in Austin, so hope you are able to attend. All of us at Quanser are looking forward to seeing you there.

Research and Education

In 1987, as a co-op placement, I was hired by the University of Waterloo’s Engineering Education Research Center to work on a variety of projects to enhance the effectiveness of engineering education. Over thirty years later, I continue to be fully immersed in this most interesting of fields.

I use the word “interesting” ambiguously. Of course it is interesting in the sense that the work we do appeals to me. But it is also interesting in the proverbial “may you live in interesting times” sense. 

Research in engineering education is too often a contradiction in many institutions. The word research, more often than not, applies to those familiar, hard-core technical activities where we derive one equation or another, or concoct a novel configuration of obscure theoretical concepts, to achieve some equally obscure functional goal. Research into education, however, often draws upon an interesting mix of engineering sciences and technology, and social science methodologies, and as a consequence such research tends not to be celebrated works among the core discipline-based technical societies.

The ASEE Conference is an ideal showcase for inventive solutions in engineering education.  Above: a stylized view of the Helicopter - Car Chase Challenge presented at the Quanser Innovation Hub.

ASEE: Focused on Research into Improved Engineering Education

The one exception is the American Society of Engineering Education (ASEE). A large part of this venerable society’s existence focuses on the promotion and enrichment of formalized research into the improvement of engineering education. 

This past June, the ASEE held its annual meeting in Atlanta and drew upwards of 4000 academics to share their respective passion for engineering education. As in previous years, Quanser made a significant contribution, including our conventional display, our Innovation Hub in which we showcased the next rev of our visual hardware-in-the-loop application, and a variety of session activities that related to a range of contemporary topics in the field.

In many ways, the ASEE conference is the ideal showcase for the inventor spirit within Quanser. Here, the participants genuinely relish seeing weird new ideas and putting our collective imagination to the test. And this was the intent of the Quanser Innovation Hub.

The Quanser Innovation Hub: Fun Can Lead To An Effective Learning Experience

Our Innovation Hub was well received and sported a new mantra that we conceived for this conference: Imagine. Think. Compute. Build. The demonstration tied a two player video game – a helicopter pilot (the chaser) and a car driver (the chasee) – with a real time control loop tied to a Quanser 2 DOF Helicopter and the new QUBE™-Servo products. 

Not only did we engage the audience with the richness of experience, but we also invited real students from the University of New Mexico to showcase their contributions in the development of this system. Overall, we wanted to illustrate how fun can lead to a much more rigorous and effective learning experience.

Visitors to the Quanser Innovation Hub could hardly believe this helicopter - car chase challenge was actually a rigorous, control learning experience. Watch the video below to see their reaction.  

Another highlight was the proliferation of Quanser applications among other vendors. In addition to our two showcases, we had friends from National Instruments, Dassault Systemes, and Maplesoft among others, demonstrate unique applications of Quanser equipment married to their respective offerings. This resulted in a diversity of views and uses of Quanser devices in creative and innovative ways.

A Forum for Passionate Debate

Aside from the exhibits and the demonstration of the engineering education community’s technical capacity, the ASEE is also renowned for its ability to catalyze very passionate discussions and debates on education and education methodologies.

For me, some of the highlights include a session that I was invited to on the topic of the “Flipped” classroom -- i.e., let students learn the basics using the many off-campus media options now available, and use valuable on-campus time for direct engagement with faculty, and group activities. This, of course is the reverse of the traditional approach at a university.  

It was a great opportunity for me to reflect on the greater role that hands-on labs will have in the very near future. In a flipped world, one of the best things that an educator can do is to use the on-campus time to allow students to work with real systems and real complexity and of course that’s where Quanser can make a significant contribution.

Researching a Common Language to Communicate Complex Engineering Concepts

I also was impressed by a particular student poster presentation by Chirag Variawa, a current Ph.D. student in Industrial Engineering at the University of Toronto. He presented his dissertation topic entitled “An Automated Approach for Finding Course-specific Vocabulary”. His research essentially developed an algorithmic way of identifying and managing a proper lexical and semantic foundation for the highly specialized courses, – in human-understandable terms, find a better way to establish a common language to communicate complex engineering concepts. 

As much as I like very multidimensional, richly layered approaches to education, a robust and consistent vocabulary is one of those things that seems to make all the difference in any complex, human-to-human endeavor, but is sometimes disregarded in pedagogical circles as somewhat pedantic and inelegant. I was delighted to see this young man transform the pedantic into a genuinely interesting project.

Flashing back to the late 80’s, the ASEE annual conference was also the very first time that a company (the legendary DEC in this instance) paid me to stand at a booth and demonstrate interesting things. That experience was the first time that I was able to connect the dots between my life as a student, to my emerging life as a researcher, and a foreshadow of my life as a citizen and professional. 

Yes, the optimal design of C² continuous parametric surfaces may look great on an academic CV (this was my dissertation topic by the way), but applying the same level of intellectual vigor on a topic that one is really passionate about, that is important to a broad cross-section of society, and often triggers activities that are genuinely fun, is ultimately, for me, the best research. I am very glad that the ASEE continues to support and celebrate such activities.

- Tom Lee

Chief Education Officer, Quanser

To learn more about Quanser's Innovation Hub presentation, click below.

Researchers Discover the Potential of the Quanser Platform at ACC 2013

Every year the American Control Conference (ACC) brings together a large and diverse group of engineering researchers and industry practitioners. Ideas are shared, challenged and debated so, clearly, the importance of this gathering cannot be overstated. 

For us at Quanser, it is a unique opportunity to learn about the latest controls research being conducted in every corner of the globe from the very men and women doing the research. For the conference delegates, it is a valuable opportunity to start conversations investigating ways Quanser can assist them in advancing their work.

Visitors to the Quanser booth examine examples of the Quanser platform in action.

A Diverse, Adaptable Research Platform Is At Your Service

Our booth at ACC 2013 was our “storefront window”. Within its limited space, it was designed to answer the question, “How is Quanser relevant to you?”, by giving visitors a starting point to understand how varied and multi-functional the Quanser platform is.

To demonstrate that point, we showcased a selection of both simple and complex experiments, starting with the low-cost, all-in-one QUBE™-Servo; and culminating with the “Iron Bird” - a Hardware-in-the-loop rapid prototyping device consisting of the Quanser 3 DOF Gyroscope and the HiQ avionics sensor board. Simulating a Quanser Qball UAV, the Iron Bird is an important incremental step towards deploying a fully functional and stable unmanned aerial system. 

These demonstrations revealed the range and quality of the Quanser platform, and were the starting points for a many one-on-one conversations with booth visitors about how our platform could serve their research. They saw that the Quanser platform is a wide-ranging, modular system of hardware and software that allow users to drop in blocks that talk to hardware, create a unique control system, then rapidly test and refine it using the software of their choice, be it MATLAB®/Simulink® or LabVIEW™.

The Quanser 3 DOF Gyroscope is a key element of our “Iron Bird” concept demonstration that caught the attention of many of our booth visitors. 

Researchers weren’t our only booth visitors. Educators saw the QUBE-Servo and its modern, mix-and-match courseware as a cost-effective path to retrofit an undergraduate control lab. The QUBE also impressed people outside the academic sphere. A number of industry practitioners, including Ford Motor Company, General Electric and others, found the QUBE so interesting they are considering using it to teach or reinforce control concepts within their companies.

At ACC 2013, we learned a great deal about the new paths researchers are taking. They in turn learned about the vast and varied Quanser research platform. Ultimately our booth visitors saw how thoroughly we could be counted on to help them advance their control research and educational goals.

To learn more about how the Quanser Platform helps validate control systems research, click here.

Quanser Solutions Address the Future of Engineering Education at ASEE 2013

The undergraduate engineering lab of the future should represent a vast improvement over most of the undergraduate labs operating today. It should offer an exciting, hands-on experience perfectly attuned to the imaginations of today’s video game generation of engineering students. The good news is, that lab exists – and you can see it at the upcoming ASEE 2013 Conference June 23 – June 26 in Atlanta, Georgia.

See the Undergraduate Lab of the Future, plus the new, low cost, self-contained QUBE-Servo Rotary Servo Experiment and more by visiting the Quanser Innovation Hub and the Quanser booth at ASEE 2013.

Visit the Innovation Hub and Quanser’s Undergraduate Lab of the Future

The next evolution of Quanser’s immersive visualization application – a multi-participant, aerial chase challenge – is designed to captivate students with its game-style approach to learning, while maintaining the rigor of engineering theory. Come by, take control of this hands-on lab concept and experience its teaching capability for yourself.

A 20 minute interactive presentation and demonstration at the Exhibit Hall:

• Sunday, June 23, 6:30 pm
• Monday, June 24, 11 am, 1:30 pm, 4 pm
• Tuesday, June 25: 10 am, 1 pm

See the New QUBE™-Servo Demo at the Quanser Booth

Along with the lab of the future, Quanser is presenting a number of forward-looking ideas and solutions, including our new QUBE-Servo, a low cost, self-contained, controls teaching platform for undergraduate labs. Stop by the Quanser booth for a live demo and learn how you can build a world-class multi-station lab for under $20K.

Continuously, Booth 553

Hear Dr. Tom Lee and Industry Experts Discuss “The Flipped Classroom”
A panel of industry experts, including Dr. Tom Lee, Chief Education Officer, Quanser, will discuss specific models of innovation that support this new style of learning in engineering courses. This session is not to be missed.  
Tuesday, June 25,  2:15 pm - 3:45 pm, Room A307

Attend the National Instruments-Quanser Teaching Solutions Workshop

This hands-on workshop will introduce you to the NI-Quanser education platform, including hardware, software and courseware that enable you to teach control concepts in a real-world context. If you use NI LabVIEW™ system design software, you should attend this workshop. 
Wednesday, June 26: 10 am - 11 am & 2 pm - 3 pm, Room A312

We hope you're able to attend the 2013 ASEE Conference. We’re looking forward to sharing with you our latest initiatives that promote effective, efficient learning.

Help Us Turn a Bicycle Into a Research Tool

What does a bicycle have to do with engineering a better world? When someone gets on one and rides miles and miles to raise money to conduct important research, everything.

On Saturday, June 8^th and Sunday, June 9^th, Quanser CEO Paul Gilbert will strap on his helmet, get on his well-used road bike and go on the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer (ERCC) in Toronto, Canada. He and his ERCC Ride teammates are hoping to raise over $64,000 in support of cancer research at Toronto's Princess Margaret Hospital, one of the five leading cancer research centres in the world.

Research tools like this are being used by Quanser CEO Paul Gilbert, his teammates and thousands of people across Canada as they seek to raise funds for cancer research through the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer.  Follow the links to see how you can get involved.

If you live in Canada, you too may wish to take part in the ERCC Ride. It’s taking place on selected weekends in June in major communities all across the country. Should you prefer to help engineer a better world and "ride" with Paul and his teammates by supporting their fundraising efforts, you are welcome to do so.

To find out more about the Enbridge Ride to Conquer Cancer and Paul's team’s goals, follow the links and help Paul turn a bicycle into an important research tool. 

Learn How Quanser Control Platforms Help Researchers Validate Their Research at ACC 2013

If you are planning to attend this year’s American Control Conference in Washington, D.C., later this month,  we invite you to visit Quanser at Booth 19. It will be an excellent opportunity to talk to one of our representatives about your research and how you can validate your theoretical findings using Quanser systems.

The Quanser booth attracted a wide range of researchers at last year's American Control Conference in Montreal, Canada.  

You can learn about the most trusted platforms for control systems research and teaching– over 80 high-precision plants that cover an extensive range of applications and control research topics, including nonlinear control, adaptive control, robust control, optimal control, intelligent control and system identification.

More than 2500 universities around the world already rely on Quanser solutions because of their precision, repeatable dynamics, open architecture and modular design. Ultimately, these solutions allow researchers like you to focus more time and resources on core research instead of building and maintaining “do-it-yourself” test beds.

As the world leader in developing control systems plants for research and education, Quanser is well-positioned to help you validate your research in the most effective and efficient manner possible. Please visit  us at Booth 19 to discuss your research needs and how Quanser can assist you in meeting them.