Experiential Learning Spaces Through an Academic Software Application to Simulate Production Lines of Rigid Bodies

Currently, there are various software applications to simulate production lines; however, some of them are expensive and require robust computing equipment. On the other hand, universities constantly try to generate courses that attract attention and motivate students. To achieve the above, it is proposed to use application software to simulate production lines in a course called Cyberphysical Systems II for university students of the Mechatronics Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Robotics, and Systems Engineering and Computer Technologies Engineering courses of the seventh semester. Through the application software used, an experiential learning space is created, in addition to having academic versions that are free for students. Different exercises were generated to evaluate the impact of using the software application, which was assessed using a checklist. At the end of the course, students were given a survey to find out their perception about the use of application software in their course. Their comments were also collected voluntarily to obtain their general opinion of the course. The results show that most students improved their grades as they solved the exercises, even though their difficulty level increased. The comments obtained were positive, as was their general perception of the course when using the production line simulation software.