Online education is on the rise in the US and abroad and provides a convenient form of knowledge transfer to people who cannot be full- or even part-time students at community colleges or universities. This factor impacts industry representatives, displaced workers, and low-income learners. Usually, online education consists of online lectures and/or tutorials designed so users can comprehend the studied subject. The missing piece of online education is the need for hands-on activities.
To address this issue, West Shore Community College and Michigan Technological University are collaborated on research, development, and implementation of a State-of-the-Art Teleoperated Robotic Workcell (TRW) to enable enhanced remote training for industrial robots. The system is designed to provide training opportunities to college students, industry representatives, and displaced workers wishing to retool their skills and become more competitive in the job market. The TRW enables remote access to the robot by a user from anywhere in the world as long as an internet connection is available. The user can jog, program, and do any operations on the robot that the student would be able to do if physically present in the lab.
West Shore Community College’s “home base” is 360 scenic acres of rolling timberland, located near Ludington, Manistee, and Scottville at the intersection of North Stiles and Sugar Grove Roads in Mason County, Michigan.
Established in 1967, the College offers a comprehensive general education curricula designed to meet the needs of students interested in occupational programs leading to immediate employment and students wishing to transfer to a senior institution. The College offers Associate of Applied Arts and Sciences Degrees, One-and Two-Year Certificates, and many custom-designed Associate of Arts and Associate of Sciences Degree Programs to meet transfer students’ needs. The College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and earns its accreditation by participating in the Open Pathway model of accreditation.
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Michigan Technological University is a flagship public research university founded in 1885. The campus, located Michigan’s Upper Peninsula, overlooks the Keweenaw Waterway and is just a few miles from Lake Superior.
Michigan Technological University began as the Michigan Mining School in Houghton in 1885. Established by the state of Michigan to train mining engineers to better operate the local copper mines, the school started with four faculty members and 23 students on the second floor of a building on Montezuma Avenue in Houghton. The building, operated as the Houghton Fire Hall for decades, is now a nightclub and restaurant.
The Michigan Mining School and the subsequent Michigan College of Mines trained nationally and internationally recognized mining engineers. The first president, Marshman E. Wadsworth (1887-98), oversaw creation of a strong faculty, movement to the present location, and a college mission.
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