Development of a New Virtual Pneumatic Control Simulator for Educational Purposes

Abstract

In order to generate force, convey power, and regulate motion, pneumatics which uses compressed air to transmit and control energy is essential. Education must change to satisfy industry demands as automation technologies proliferate. However, conventional hands-on pneumatic systems for teaching are frequently costly, logistically difficult, and inaccessible, which prevents students from learning useful skills. This work discusses the design and development of a free virtual pneumatic control simulator in order to address these issues. Students can experiment with control strategies, visualize system reactions, and study pneumatic control concepts in an interactive, software-based environment with the simulator. For simulation, the architecture combines Simscape and MATLAB/Simulink, and real-time interaction and visualization are made possible using a Python/Flask-Bootstrap interface. When compared to traditional techniques, the results show notable gains in students' conceptual understanding and engagement. The potential of virtual labs to democratize engineering education is demonstrated by this platform.