Motion control and teleoperation challenge

This paper presents a multidisciplinary advanced motion control and teleoperation course that was developed as a part of the European engineering curriculum for a broad range of engineering students from different countries and tested within an international summer school. The course uses a problem-based educational approach respectively `learning by doing´. Students´ teams work on designing and implementing a real-time controller based on an artificial neural network for a motion control of mechanical system with non-linear dynamics. On general the course is designed to provide the students deeper understanding and integration of the concepts that come from different disciplines that are usually handed within separate courses. The course was tested within summer school with 31 participants from seven countries and evaluated by survey. The survey´s results indicate student satisfaction with the learning experience and gained knowledge. The summer school experience was used as a basis for two courses that are now included into regular master level education in `System design´ program.