A Computer Visualization Teachware for Evaluating the Performance of Control System

Computer visualization is an extremely useful tool for conveying engineering concepts to technical as well as non-technical audiences. Real-Time Simulation and Animation (RTSA) is a software that has proven to be very effective in presenting concepts of dynamic control systems in instructional and research laboratories. The unique feature of this recently developed software is that it graphically animates the physical motion of the control system being evaluated, instead of merely performing numerical simulation and displaying plots of the simulated results. With suitable hardware and programming, these tasks can all be accomplished in real-time, giving the visual impact of happening "live". RTSA has been successfully developed and used at Oakland University to provide an interactive computer-based learning experience for control engineering students. It enhances the control curriculum in the following ways: It provides an effective method for introducing applications and concepts of control engineering in real-world systems, and it challenges students to analyze, design and modify the control systems using the interactive features of RTSA software. Instant gratification in seeing control theory successfully applied and better understanding of control concepts have led to the wide acceptance of the RTSA by students. This paper describes the details of how one such RTSA software, entitled "Auto-Tracking Control of a Heat-Seeking Missile," becomes a hit as a laboratory teachware among the students.