Improving on the use of industrial CAD and simulation packages in teaching automation and robotics

Robotics is the most powerful tool available to ensure the success of modern manufacturing industry in Europe. The requirement for education and training in the area of robotics led to the choice of name for a new course at Portsmouth Polytechnic; Automation and Robotics. The course consists of both practical and theoretical work. The practical work is in three parts, beginning with basic control techniques. The other two parts are an investigation into the use of sensors and transducers in a flexible manufacturing environment (especially vision systems) and path and trajectory planning and the control of industrial robots