Feeling is Believing: Using a Force‐Feedback Joystick to Teach Dynamic Systems

Abstract

Abstract As an innovative approach to providing physical demonstrations in the engineering classroom, we present the haptic paddle: a low‐cost, single‐axis force‐feedback joystick. Using the paddle in the laboratory component of an undergraduate course on dynamic systems, students not only learned to model and analyze dynamic systems, but they also felt the effects of phenomena such as viscous damping, stiffness, and inertia. By interacting with virtual environments using their sense of touch, students improved their understanding of dynamic systems, modeling and control. In addition, the paddles added entertainment and excitement to the course. In this paper, we describe the purpose and design of the haptic paddle, show examples of how the paddle was integrated into the course, and present the results of preliminary student evaluations.