Fostering Mechanisms, Mechatronics and Robotics Education in The Smart Mini Factory Laboratory of The Free University Of Bozen-Bolzano (I)

Abstract

When striving for the enrichment of students' learning experience in Mechanism and Machine Science fundamentals, a significant barrier can be the level of abstraction of such topics. Concepts in, e.g., spatial kinematics and dynamics often pose challenges for students in terms of visualization and practice-oriented outcomes. Employing simulation software and physical tools, also in combination, can effectively address this issue. This is where this work comes in, exploring and describing a learning-by-doing practical teaching approach in the Smart Mini Factory laboratory of the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano (I). The laboratory environment, together with the pool of mechanisms, mechatronic and robotic systems, tools, and software available for students, is described; examples of practical applications are also provided.