Department of Informatics and Computers

This paper is focused to the use of experimental and virtual laboratories in the teaching of information systems, closely connected to control systems. The Paper presents experience with developing real laboratory tasks in wireless communication systems, using GSM controller and other specialised equipment. Students have developed these laboratory tasks and web connection to these tasks during their semester project in the subject "Database systems". The projects integrate data measurement, control systems, database systems and other parts and make demands on students to solve these problems together as a whole. This has proved a useful way to grasp the complexity of separately taught subjects.

A new information exchange for international engineering education, incorporating a database for developing collaborative linkages, is being implemented under sponsorship by the International Network for Engineering Education and Research (iNEER). An informal, volunteer, networking group formed to promote advances in engineering education and research through international partnerships, iNEER provides guidance and is the main motivating force for the International Conference

This contribution presents the achieved results of a complex grant project focused on the development of equipment for the 3-D picturing of a carotid artery. This problem was solved during years 2006 -2008 by specialists from the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering VŠB-TUO, Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science VŠB-TUO and Neurological Clinic FN Ostrava during the solving of research project GA 101/06/0491 supported by the Czech Science Foundation. The main goal is mechanical system for the exact measurement of Atherosclerotic Plaque (AC plaque) in a carotid artery, including the control system and synchronizations with the heart activity. The obtained pictures enable the necessary analysis and acquisition of data for Atherosclerotic Plaque with appropriate accuracy and recurring measurements. These results open the way for medical use.

This work deals with comparison and testing of chosen heuristic methods for searching minimum value. Chosen methods are local search method, hill climbing algorithm, tabu search method and simulated annealing method. For comparison algorithms of all selected heuristic method have been created application. Every method is possible to set to algorithm with different way, while method is keeping its principle. In most of cases, comparison method is possible to use on different number of values, for example for searching in one column in accurate range or in all columns in a same range. So in application was created nineteen different algorithms of chosen heuristic methods. Algorithms are used three types of databases: Continuous, Random and Similar Continuous. Effectiveness of algorithms for searching minimum sum of values from all columns of database is tested on these data. Progresses of the way of every algorithm are shown on the graph.

Existing systems for the control of mould level of continuous steel casting in Czech Steelworks have had problems with the stability of the steel level position. A new control algorithm is designed on the basis of mathematical modelling and digital simulation. This should better satisfy the actual demand on the control quality. A PI controller with a variable gain and dither signal was used. During several months of practical tests and the experimental tuning of the controller, parameters were determined regarding the required shape time diagram of the steel level for all types of steels, resulting in very good slab surface quality.

This paper describes ways of cooperation between the Department of Control Systems and Instrumentation and industry, and with companies representing a main role in industrial automation from the point of view of their contribution to education and ways of motivating students. This cooperation has been developing through the last decade by various means implemented into teaching. One of them is

troke is one of the leading causes of death and disability. 1 Thirty percent to 50% of stroke survivors do not regain functional independence, and 15% to 30% of all stroke survivors are permanently disabled. Twenty percent of patients require 3 months of poststroke institutional care. Embolization from atherosclerotic carotid plaques is the most common cause of ischemic stroke. 3 Several recent studies have also suggested that measurement of carotid plaques is also an important predictor of cardiac risk. 4,5 Measuring plaques improves therapy in cardiovascular prevention clinics. 6 Therefore, identification of highrisk plaques by sonography is important. | www.aium.org

This contribution shows some advantages of distributed and heterogonous simulation program concept. In the paper the developed simulation program SIPRO will be shortly described. Well-established simulation program SIPRO is focused on education of control systems, because it is a low cost solution and it is easy to learn. The used developer's platform is DCOM – cornerstone of the last Windows operating systems version. The DCOM programming technology acts as a connection for heterogonous modules of modular application.

The paper deals with experiences from teaching the subject Automatic Control Fundamentals. This subject is a compulsory for all students of the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering in the bachelor study programme. After successfully passed exam, students should have basic knowledge from field of automation. For easy understanding the subject matter the laboratory was newly equipped and the model laboratory tasks were created. The contribution will show the tasks set and experiments. The experiments can be divided into three parts: logic control, control of a laboratory model with help of PC or a controller, and visualization. Model tasks from logic control area consist of six laboratory models. On these models students can learn how to design and program PLC controller. The models are: a model of reservoir level control (a Mitsubishi FX programmable logic controller is used; three types of experiments); four simple models controlled by the controller Alpha, Mitsubishi Electric, for exa...

Paper presents specialized measurement system for the sonograph picturing, developed at the Department of control Systems and Instrumentation. This system helps to obtain data for 2D and 3D modelling of the carotid artery. This system has been developed during the completion of grant project GACR 101/06/0491 supported by the Czech Grant Agency. Key words: List of 4 -5 key words, one line only (9 pt).

The main topic of this paper is the brief description of the last release of simulation program SIPRO. Well-established simulation program SIPRO is focused on education of control systems, because it is a low cost solution and it is easy to learn. The last version of this program determined for Windows operating systems offers a possibility of a distributed simulation. The paper shows some advantages of such concept, the internal architecture of the program and the testing of distributed system performance. The used developer's platform is DCOM - cornerstone of the last Windows operating systems version.

This contribution describes a concept for a new prepared form of teaching at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering V_B TUO based on naturally originated teams from the student groups solving projects within a framework of their diploma works. It deals with problems of how to introduce elements of a team work effectively into the present study program and the evaluation system. It describes a mechanism of introducing teams, the principle of their support and their evaluations.

The purpose of this paper is to describe recent activities by the International Steering Committee of the International Conference on Engineering Education (ICEE-ISC), and by the International Network for Engineering Education and Research (iNEER). Organized as an information exchange and partnership forum, ICEE emphasizes advancing teaching and learning in engineering through collaboration and networking. It is a conference series that highlights the worldwide progress and experiences in engineering education and research, especially in the context of international cooperation. The history of the formation of ICEE-ISC and iNEER will be summarized. Examples of recent activities will be provided. Features of the iNEER website and information repository, developed, implemented and maintained through multinational institutional cooperation and support, will be explained.

This contribution presents the questionnaire system, developed at the Faculty of Mechanical Engineering VSB-TU Ostrava during the application of Quality Management System [1] and Total Quality Management System, based on the EFQM Excellence Model (European Foundation for Quality Management) [3]. The main parts are question-naires for: • New students. • Students who failed in the first year of their study. • Actual students – student satisfaction with individual subjects and teachers. • Graduates. These analyses help us very well in the self-assessment process [4], which has been repeated once a year since the year 2006 and whose highest achievement was the Czech National Quality Award [1]. This Contribution includes a description of all questionnaires, achieved results, their evaluation and the application enriched knowledge. Some relevant investigations are also compared with the expertise of the Queen Mary Univer-sity of London, United Kingdom.

Engineers work in a real world. Mechanical engineers in everyday business have to solve techni cal tasks and their responsibility spans from the conce pt and the technical design to manufacturing and commissioning - often under the time pressure and in stress condi tions. Therefore the engineering curriculum needs to be reviewed; the future engineers need mutual language to solve technical problems in a more effective way. T his kind of approach to teaching mechanical engineers i s demonstrated in two case studies. The first one is an individual approach in classes called "Technical Pr oblem Solving ", based on technical system analysis and optimization. The classes are based on the "Theory Of Inventive Problem Solving" (known as TRIZ), with an original approach to the first stage of the solutio n - how to define and understand a technical system as an abstract model for further optimization. The second case study demonstrates team cooperation on the project &quo...

Annotation: This contribution describes non-linear control system synthesis. This problem is solved by the use of sliding mode controls, which is developed at the Department of Control Systems and Instrumentation at the Technical University of Ostrava, Czech Republic, during solving the research project. Those kinds of control were applied to control of very complex non-linear control systems like position control of winding machine or the industrial robots. The designed algorithms were verified by computer simulation and also directly on laboratory model -very fast and complex non-linear control system of the position control of levitating object in magnetic field.

Paper deals with the convergence of the Internet and education, which create Internet-enabled learning. New challenge "e-Learning" eliminates barriers of time, distance, and socioeconomic status, allowing people to take charge of their own lifelong learning. While a large set of e-Learning tools have already reached a quite mature level of usability, their integration within curricula is mostly in an exploratory stage handled by pioneer educators and multidisciplinary research group. The key questions include how to cope with the new tools that appear every days and how to concurrently renew adequately the courses pedagogical scenarios as well as the study programs. Renewals include approaches to sustain active and collaborative learning, schemes to hide technology behind the learning features, solutions to provide flexible learning modalities that combined on-campus and remote activities, as well as institutional incentives to promote e-Learning deployment. Virtual techno...

This paper deals about the possibility of actual technologies, which use the dynamic HTML pages, especially ASP (Active Server Pages) technology, and their use for the designing systems support. Authors start at their long-time experiences with the web-oriented information systems building, as well as the designing process support. There are the exercises "Databank of control systems devices" and "The steel manual" shown in the paper and demonstrate actual capabilities of Internet information technologies. Database applications allow sophisticated data selection, editing and presentation on Internet with help of a thin front-end application like web browser.

This paper is focused to the use of experimental and virtual laboratories in the teaching of information systems, closely connected to control systems. The Paper presents experience with developing real laboratory tasks in wireless communication systems, using GSM controller and other specialised equipment. Students have developed these laboratory tasks and web connection to these tasks during their semester project in the subject "Database systems". The projects integrate data measurement, control systems, database systems and other parts and make demands on students to solve these problems together as a whole. This has proved a useful way to grasp the complexity of separately taught subjects.