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Web-Based Self-Paced Virtual Prototyping Tutorials
Chin Pei Tang Graduate Student chintang_at_eng.buffal
o.edu
Rajankumar Bhatt Graduate Student rmbhatt_at_eng.buff
alo.edu
Leng-Feng Lee Undergraduate Student llee3_at_eng.buff
alo.edu
Venkat Krovi Assistant Professor vkrovi_at_eng.buffal
o.edu
Mechanical Aerospace Engineering State
University of New York at Buffalo 318 Jarvis
Hall, Buffalo NY 14260 Automation, Robotics
Mechatronics Laboratory (ARM Lab) http//mechatron
ics.eng.buffalo.edu
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VP in Engineering

• Virtual Prototyping (VP) Simulation-Based
  Design (SBD) has gained popularity in most
  engineering design processes.
• Significant demand from industry for students
  trained in this methodology.
• However, not much room in engineering curriculum
  permits widespread adoption in the lecture-based
  classroom currently.

http//www.dynamicdesignermotion.com/
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Tutorials Goal

• Introduce VP to students in Machines and
  Mechanism Design
• Develop a series of Web-Based Self-Paced
  Tutorials, permit the students to
• Create engineering analysis models
• Develop skills for interactive SBD
• Develop engineering judgment

http//www.eng.buffalo.edu/Courses/mae412/tutorial
s/index.html
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Conventional Approach

1. Conceptual Design
2. Build Physical Prototype
3. Measure Performance and Test
4. Modify Physical Prototype
No
Yes
5. Manufacture Product
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Virtual Prototyping
Less !!!
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Why VP now?

• The availability of low-cost PC based parametric
  simulation and analysis tools.
• The capability of integrating multiple
  functionalities into a unified environment.

http//www.dynamicdesignermotion.com/
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Need for Our Tutorials

• Our students do not have experience with
• Operating the CAD application software
• Analyzing the resulting output
• Factors impeding wide-spread adoption of existing
  tutorials to directly augment the engineering
  class
• The vendors tutorials may be targeted at more
  experienced user.
• The overall complexity and time required to learn
  these tools.
• Lack of linkage (to the course material)

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Traditional Approach

• Concepts and ideas of mechanism theory are
  delivered in class-room based lecture.
• Mathematical formulation are emphasized.
• Approach limits the complexity of the model
  handled.

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VP Approach

• VP allows us to
• Quantitatively analyze complex mechanisms and
  their motions.
• Interactively examine many different alternatives

• Interactively animate motions of the mechanism

Grashof
Non-Grashof
However, is a black box approach
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Our Philosophy

• Link Traditional Approach and VP Approach

Link
VP Approach
Traditional Approach
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Implementation
Phase 1
Get familiarized to the tools
Understand various mechanisms
Phase 2
Develop engineering judgment skills
Introduce VP into engineering design process
Phase 3
Build physical systems based on SBD