On April 19-27, 2023, the Silesian University of Technology as a project coordinator hosted the second (as the last educational activity) pilot workshop of the RELABEMA project, devoted to verification of the developed educational tools for remote laboratory classes in electrical engineering, automation and mechatronics. In the workshop 42 students participated, 26 of whom represented foreign universities. The workshops were conducted by a total of 18 teachers, including 9 from partner universities. The event coordinator was prof. Mariusz Stępień together with staff of the Department of Power Electronics, Electric Drives and Robotics.
The workshops’ base was the educational and conference center in Ustroń. The main part of integration and general educational activities took place there. The key part of the training workshops took place on the campus of the Silesian University of Technology. This part included the implementation of laboratory classes using the tools (intellectual outputs) developed as part of the project. Three of the developed laboratories were conducted remotely, while the power electronics laboratory developed by the coordinator was conducted by students as a stationary exercise (the developed test benches make it possible to carry out exercises both stationary and remotely). The students were divided into four international groups in which they visited the campus and selected laboratories of the host university, and then carried out remote pilot laboratories: a drive control laboratory developed by Tallinn University of Technology, a virtual reality laboratory developed by Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, a metrology laboratory developed by the University of Zielona Góra and the power electronics laboratory developed by the Silesian University of Technology.
Other activities included: a visit to the Geophysical Observatory of the Institute of Geophysics of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Racibórz, a visit to the Piast Castle in Racibórz, an educational visit to the Historic Ignacy Mine in Rybnik, a technical visit to the Gliwice Radio Station and finally, numerical modeling workshops carried out at the educational center in Ustroń. As part of recreational and leisure activities, the participants trekked in the Silesian Beskids, climbing, among others, the Czantoria Wielka peak, and as part of getting to know Polish culture, they visited Krakow and Wadowice.
During the 10 days of the workshop, the participants had the opportunity to acquire new knowledge and skills related to the substantive activities of the project, but they also had the opportunity to integrate, establish mutual relationships and get to know the place and area where the workshops were carried out. At the end, the participants shared their opinion with the organizers by completing a simple evaluation survey (the survey contained several closed questions, but also gave the opportunity to express open opinions). It will be used to organize subsequent educational activities of a similar nature.
