Developing a new affordable DC motor laboratory kit for an existing undergraduate controls course

The aim of this research is to expand the access of hands-on controls education at the undergraduate level with an affordable laboratory kit. A kit was assembled for around $130 while replicating the educational functionality of a typical station in an introductory controls laboratory. The kit consists of a Raspberry Pi, a DC motor, and various circuits required for the lab exercises. Details of each of these components are explained. Additionally, the laboratory experiments tested with this kit are described. This kit replaces expensive equipment with an affordable alternative that can be easily shipped anywhere in the world and used by students who do not have a formal laboratory space to use. The kit greatly enhances the accessibility of the laboratory experience to students in budget-strapped campus laboratories and those participating in distance education.

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