May 2002 Faculty Spotlight

Simulations, 3-D models, and mechanical systems visualizations are needed in instruction, but they are costly and time-consuming to develop. What if someone else did the development work and offered you a set of interactive simulations and relevant visualization tools for free? Then it's a good thing you're reading this!

Dr. Chetan Kapoor, Chief Scientist of the UT Robotics Research Group, has a full set of models and associated software tools that help students visualize motion characteristics of range of mechanical systems from 1 to N degrees of freedom. "Anything that moves with any complexity could benefit from this approach," says Kapoor. "I missed out on this as a student." He and Professor Delbert Tesar observed the need to build a stronger connection between course assignments and real-world problems. At the same time, new developments in 3-D modeling and simulation software made this more feasible. The effort was supported in part by an Academic Development Fund grant.

Experienced engineers have good mental visual models of these systems, but students lack this expertise. An initial investigation indicated that at least 14 undergraduate and graduate courses in Mechanical Engineering alone could benefit from such simulations. The models and tools are packaged in a modular fashion so they can be used in multiple courses. Dr. Kapoor wants to get the word out and share these valuable simulations with others who can take advantage of them.

For more information, please feel free to contact Dr. Kapoor at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it or visit the Web site at http://www.robotics.utexas.edu/simulations