Machines (Sep 2023)

Design, Implementation, and Control of a Linear Electric Actuator for Educational Mechatronics

  • Jesús Antonio Nava-Pintor,
  • Miriam A. Carlos-Mancilla,
  • Héctor A. Guerrero-Osuna,
  • Luis F. Luque-Vega,
  • Rocío Carrasco-Navarro,
  • Salvador Castro-Tapia,
  • Marcela E. Mata-Romero,
  • Luis E. González-Jiménez,
  • Luis Octavio Solís-Sánchez

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3390/machines11090894
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 11, no. 9
p. 894

Abstract

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Kinematics is a fundamental topic in engineering, robotics, mechatronics, and control systems and significantly resolves some of these fields’ most pressing issues. It is essential to assess the balance between a topic’s theoretical framework and its empirical validation to succeed in engineering. Educational tools have gained significant attention for their ability to enhance the learning experience by providing the hands-on experiences necessary to assess theoretical frameworks and empirical validations. This paper presents a system incorporating state-of-the-art features, including a fuzzy controller enabling precise control of a linear actuator and a USB camera, to provide an interactive experience. The USB camera captures the position of the actuator, providing real-time visual feedback and allowing the students to validate their theoretical understanding through practical experiments. Precision, accuracy, resolution, and the implementation of the fuzzy controller are measured to evaluate the whole system’s performance. The design, implementation, and control of our educational electrical linear actuator for teaching kinematics concepts contribute to a practical educational tool and advance interactive learning approaches in the field.

Keywords