The scrutiny from the pandemic – experiments

Fluid Mechanics and Hydraulic Transmission is an important professional basic course in Dalian University of Technology. In 2018, the experimental part of virtual-actual reality integration corresponding to this course received special funding for the education and teaching reform in central colleges and universities. It is a prescient project on higher education that allows students of Dalian University of Technology to remotely operate the world’s top engineering experiment platforms through virtual and actual interconnections. During the difficult time of epidemic, we successfully created and implemented the materials and projects for 12-hour experimental course on 6 different experimental contents. A real learning revolution!

The content and structure of the courses for the virtual-actual reality integration experiments

International top equipment for hydraulic experiments employed in the undergraduate education of Dalian University of Technology

Figure 1- German Bosch Rexroth WS290

Figure 2 - German Bosch Rexroth DS4

From 2009 to the end of 2018, with the support of many schools, colleges and also thanks to the central maintenance and purchase program, undergraduate talent training projects of the collaborative innovation center, in accordance to the hydraulic laboratory in the international famous Purdue University, the National Experimental Teaching Demonstration Center and the hydraulic laboratory, has been equipped with industrial-grade experimental rigs and, therefore, has the hardware equivalence for carrying out various world-class undergraduate experiments.

The complete content

Virtual assembly and disassembly units of hydraulic components

Figure 3 - Based on U3D to establish commonly used 10 virtual assembly and disassembly in the hydraulic components library

Virtual assembly and disassembly of a pressure release valve

This part mainly builds the virtual assembly and disassembly of 10 basic hydraulic components commonly used in hydraulic related courses. It is based on the interactive activities with their function animations powered by the unity 3D platform. Every student can simulate the manual operations in assembly and disassembly of hydraulic components and is able to clearly observe the internal structures as well as principles of hydraulic components. All of those trainings provide students an interactive immersion and actual experience.

Remote access simulation software for hydraulic systems

Figure 4 - Automation Studio™ multi-technology simulation software

The remote virtual-actual reality integration of the hydraulic experimental teaching system includes a mobile terminal as a carrier to transfer information, which realizes the connection between the laboratory equipment and the mobile terminal. This allows to fully explore the potential from the experimental engineering level equipment - Rexroth DS4 series and WS290, which are supported by the Automation Studio™ simulation software. Thanks to the advantages provided by this software and hardware integration, students can initiate component selection and system design within a realism that fully meet the actual needs of the project during the process of simulation.

Remote control hydraulic experimental rigs

Figure 5 - Remote control interface

Figure 6 - Experimental Rig

Figure 7 - Not limited by the place or time, students can now control the experiment rig remotely

This part is based on .NET development technology for accessing the remote devices. Students can schedule their experiments anywhere and at any time. Through the high-definition video feedback system, the DS4 experimental rig in the laboratory of Dalian University of Technology can be remotely controlled and the real-time operation can also be verified. This allows students to complete the debugging and experiment of the hydraulic circuits and systems online. A new experimental teaching means of virtual-actual reality integration is thus truly realized.

Students' remote operation and feedback

Features innovation

Feature 1

The experimental teaching project that realizes interactive learning of professional knowledge within a short or long distance provides a technical basis for our school's software and hardware teaching resources to cope with the challenges of the pandemic.

Feature 2

For the first time in China, the combination of online virtual simulation technology and offline engineering practical platform has been integrated into undergraduate courses. It has successfully transformed the concept of impartation of knowledge to learning knowledge with innovation ability and engineering awareness.

Postscript

After Dalian University of Technology received the "Notice on the delay of start of school in the Spring Semester of 2020" from the Ministry of Education on January 27, 2020, the teachers of the Experimental Group of Mechanical and Virtual Integration did not even have time to finish the fifth day of the first month in lunar calendar. Despite still being on vacation, they began to consciously prepare for an innovative teaching model that may be useful in the incoming semester. Making the most out of the research results obtained in the previous virtual-actual reality integration experiments, and making sure that every student could be taken into consideration, has become the direction of the joint efforts of the teachers of the project team. On July 3, 2020, after the last student successfully completed the six experiments, everyone was truly relieved. From the scrutiny of the pandemic, it can be said that the teachers and students of Dalian University of Technology have given our responses ardently and innovatively.

Members of the construction project of the mechanical and virtual-actual reality integration experiments

School of Mechanical Engineering, Dalian University of Technology Zhang Hong, Liu Jianwei, Wang Dianlong, Liu Xin, Sun Tiebing
Special thanks to Teacher Zhang Yongce of Dalian University of Technology and Feng Lan Media for their technical support.