Thirty Mechanical and Electrical Engineering learners recently visited Swansea University Bay Campus to gain an insight into ‘Industry 4.0’, ‘Cobots’ and Virtual Reality.
Staff from the multi-disciplinary Science and Engineering departments at Swansea University provided learners with a combination of inspiring practical activities and theory. Upon arrival, Jennifer Thompson, Senior Lecturer and Admissions Tutor in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at Swansea University presented a lecture on ‘Industry 4.0: Manufacturing the Future,’ which explored key developments, addressed concerns and benefits of the industrial progression to 4.0 and touched upon Persuasive Technology, Cyber Physical Systems (CPS), Virtual & Augmented Reality and Collaborative Robotics (Cobots).
Dr Jennifer Thompson commented: “We are always delighted when we get the opportunity to showcase the possibilities that a degree/career in Mechanical Engineering provides after studying at Swansea University.
“The future of manufacturing is evolving to make use of Big Data, AI and to enhance the bridge between the physical and digital worlds – the 4th Industrial Revolution (Industry 4.0.) As such, technologies like Virtual Reality and Collaborative Robotics will become commonplace in the work and home environments so, it’s important to raise awareness with our next generation of engineers of the exciting changes to come.
“It was amazing to see Pembrokeshire College students experience and interact with some of the Industry 4.0 technology that we have in the Department. Hopefully, we inspired plenty of next generation Industry 4.0 engineers!”
For the practical element of the visit, learners engaged in a Virtual Reality experience with Dr Peter Dorrington and received a guided tour of the diverse range of collaborative robotics the Science and Engineering Department work with. The learners also had the opportunity to learn more about the Mechanical Engineering degree courses and opportunities that Swansea University has to offer with Dr Andrew Rees, Associate Professor in Mechanical Engineering.
Reuben Whitehead, a Level 3 Advanced Manufacturing Engineering learner attended the visit and commented: “The visit to Swansea University provided a beneficial insight to what studying Engineering in higher education could be like, as well as the opportunities presented whilst studying at Swansea such as the Formula Student programme. Being able to experience new and upcoming innovations both in VR and Robotics really gave an exciting glimpse as to what the future holds! Overall, the trip provided a great insight to studying Engineering at university and certainly helped with decisions regarding my future in education.”
Jake Mowbray, Lecturer in Mechanical Engineering at Pembrokeshire College added: “It is vital that our learners are given the opportunity to explore these new and exciting technologies. Innovations in robotics and digitalisation are pushing the boundaries for manufacturing, and our future engineers need to be thinking about how this will direct their potential career path. This event demonstrates the advantages of collaboration between Further and Higher Education as it focuses on building our learners’ aspirations.”
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