Yaskawa develops dedicated curricula to deliver “real-world industrial experiences” in the classroom

Apr. 4, 2016 – “Organizations must provide the right products, technology and education to fill the gap between what the industry wants and what educational institutions can provide,” says Yaskawa Motoman. In an effort to boost workforce development and sustainable economic growth, Yaskawa says it has developed dedicated curricula, programs and hardware and software tools to deliver “real-world industrial experiences in a classroom environment.”

These programs include:

• STEM Robotics Platforms – Packages that help instructors to teach robotics using the same equipment deployed in automation manufacturing plants. According to the company, they feature standard industrial-grade components and comprehensive academic tools; material handling and welding models are available.
• MotoSim EG-VRC for Education – PC-based offline programming environment and robotics simulation tool that is designed specifically for K-16 schools, training organizations and education research institutions. It enables 3D simulation of robot cells and simulates a functional production environment. Used with MotoSim Touch, students can toggle between a virtual programming pendant and a hardware pendant.
• Yaskawa Academy Learning Management System (LMS) – STEM-aligned curriculum that offers students the academic core standards and 21st century skills required for careers in advanced manufacturing. In order to develop this new standard in workforce certification, Yaskawa Motoman partnered with FASTLANE, the Miami Valley’s Manufacturing Extension Partnership at the University of Dayton Research Institute, to align national and state STEM requirements for schools with the industrial robotics curriculum.
• Three certification programs to meet the needs of educators: Train-the-Trainer Program; MERIT Program; and Modified MERIT Program.

“The challenge is for us to find ways to package our intellectual knowledge and make it available,” said Bob Graff, senior sales manager, education, Yaskawa. “We also need to make our solutions relevant to industry needs, content rich, comprehensive and easy to use in order to make students successful.”