Robots and Role-Playing: EWU Students Use Advanced Robotics to Build Dice Boxes

Eastern Washington University is taking hands-on learning to the next level in its MENG 485 Advanced Robotics course. In a first-of-its-kind project, students in mechanical engineering and robotics have teamed up to develop a robotic-assisted assembly line—and their final challenge was to create a high-quality, role-playing game with dice boxes that use industrial automation.

This 10-week course is led by EWU’s Jennifer Leaf, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering who brings cutting-edge robotics into real-world applications. Students designed and built an assembly system using programmable logic controllers (PLCs) and collaborative robots (cobots) to construct, inspect and refine each dice box with machine precision.

“This project prepares our students for modern manufacturing,” says Leaf. “Companies are investing in human-tended automation to allow skilled engineers to focus on innovation, rather than repetitive tasks. Our students are learning exactly how to build and program these systems —experience that gives them a huge advantage in the workforce.”

The state-of-the-art robotics lab at EWU, one of the most sophisticated among universities in the region, provided students with the tools to program two robots — one equipped with a camera — to execute each step of the process. The robots:

• Scan materials for quality control
• Apply felt liners and scan for quality control
• Attach magnets and scan for quality control
• Stamp the EWU Mechanical Engineering & Technology logo
• Automatically discard defective parts

By the end of the quarter, students had written programming code, engineered and installed more than half a mile of wiring, and designed an emergency stop system — all while developing an automated manufacturing process.

Such hands-on experiences are what makes EWU’s polytechnic approach stand out. As the region’s only polytechnic university, EWU is dedicated to applied learning that prepares students for high-demand careers in engineering​. Nearly 82% of EWU graduates secure professional experience while they are earning their degrees, and these real-world projects prepare them for the workforce.