In the wake of the
overwhelmingly positive response by students to the Quanser Driving Simulator
and the remarkable ability of this immersive 3D environment and simulation to
provide an engaging platform for learning control theory, Quanser took the
opportunity to go to the next level. To really emphasize the unique potential that the platform has to engage students in control systems design and development from the ground up, we decided to hand off the project to senior design students at the University of New Mexico.
The Challenge: Create a high level, engaging, hands-on
platform to teach helicopter flight control
The students were
asked to help Quanser innovate the way flight control is taught. They
were tasked to design an educational platform that is industrially relevant,
exciting and engaging; utilizes Hardware-in-the-Loop components; and relates to
classic engineering concepts and practices.
We provided them with
several Quanser tools and devices, including our 2 DOF Helicopter and Rapid Control Prototyping (RCP) Toolkit with the Quanser 3D Viewer visualization software. Quanser engineers then mentored
the team throughout the design process.
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| The Quanser 2 DOF Helicopter hardware is integrated with the on-screen simulation as part of the competition-oriented video game that helps students gain familiarity with the simulation and its controls. |
The Solution: The Quanser 3D helicopter flight simulator takes flight
The students aimed to
design a platform that was as pedagogically rigorous as it was engaging. This
was important because a great many game-style educational tools are dismissed
by serious students. They also knew that the resulting 3D helicopter
visualization had to be immersive and realistic, yet simple to control.
To get them off to a
proper start, Quanser engineers outlined key success criteria. The first
requirement was hardware-in-the-loop components, including the Quanser 2 DOF
Helicopter. The 2 DOF Helicopter combined realistic model dynamics and ease of
use, and helped ensure the undergraduate students had a serious and industrially-relevant
learning experience.
For the second
requirement, the capstone team had to create a repeatable, close-loop course
for the virtual helicopter to follow that would allow students to develop and
test the low level control systems and the high level navigation algorithms.
Once these criteria were set, the students went to work on design and
development, consulting with Quanser engineers and their instructors when
necessary.
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| The students went one step further and added complexity to their challenge by implementing an exciting helicopter-and-car chase capability. This was achieved by integrating code from the Quanser Driving Simulator. |
The Project Outcome: An innovative, high-flying, hands-on
controls learning experience
Speaking for the UNM
capstone team, Kurt Hollowell summed up their experience. “The Quanser (RCP)
Toolkit gave us the functionality to control the helicopter at a basic level through LabVIEW™. We were able to change various inputs to the helicopter, as well as
view helicopter state outputs such as current pitch and yaw readings, changes
over time, and so on.
“Quanser’s visualization software allowed us to easily work with the models within our simulation. We were able
to import, scale, and change the models as needed all in one place, which
seamlessly integrated with the rest of our system. Ultimately, the toolset gave
us the power to perform quick iterations during the development of our
project."
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| The capstone project student team from the University of New Mexico includes (left to right) Edgar Chavez (CE), Mitch Castillo (EE), Davie Torres (EE), and Kurt Hollowell (CE). |
As a platform for
control systems education, the 2 DOF helicopter system and the simulation
provided by the UNM capstone students now facilitates several flight scenarios for
future users, including free flying over a never-ending environment, flying
through ring courses, pursuing a car on the ground, and more. Overall, the
system gives control systems and engineering students the opportunity to have a
realistic and engaging hands-on learning experience.
The development of a
complete courseware offering by these 4th year engineering students was
accomplished in only 7 months, a testament to the effectiveness of the Quanser rapid control prototyping tools, the design process and the abilities of the students. We believe the successful completion of this
capstone project will lead to a vivid new way to bring control theory to life
in the lab. It has already enhanced the
students’ ability to succeed in their academic and industrial careers.
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