Proposal

Narrative

With modern simulation software, the capabilities for system design and analysis are more advanced than ever. Many current and future projects, both student and research based, share a common need: the design and verification of complex mechanical and robotic systems. Simulation has become the foundation for developing, testing, and validating these designs before physical prototyping begins. The Robotics and Mechanical Systems Simulation Station will serve as a powerful tool to support these needs. The rise of artificial intelligence and advanced algorithms has created growing demand for high-performance computing. Running simulations, training models, and executing robotics algorithms now require substantial processing power to achieve real-world accuracy. As these tools have become essential to modern engineering, high-quality computing resources are no longer optional—they are necessary. All COECS students and faculty conducting research will have access to this advanced system, capable of handling high-demand computational tasks while significantly reducing processing time. Simulations run on insufficient hardware can produce incomplete or inaccurate data, limiting research and learning outcomes. Due to cost, many students and researchers lack access to the computing resources required for these simulations. Integrating the Robotics and Mechanical Systems Simulation Station will expand the university’s capabilities in system design, analysis, and innovation. It will strengthen educational opportunities, accelerate research, and enhance project quality across the college. This resource will keep Florida Atlantic University at the forefront of engineering research and technology development, empowering students and faculty to push the boundaries of modern simulation and design. These systems will be located in EW164 and ST105 and managed by myself, the lab’s Principal Investigator.

Facilities

No facilities renovations will be needed, the proper power and ethernet connections are already available.

Hardware Requirements

1. 2 x DAMANT CUSTOM 24-Core Liquid Cooled Modelling Editing Rendering Workstation Computer PC Intel Core i9-13900K 3.0GHz Z690 ROG STRIX 128GB DDR5 1TB NVMe PCIe 4.0 SSD 5TB HDD 1200W Geforce RTX 5090 32GB 2. 4 x Monitors 3. 2 x keyboards 4. 2 x computer mouse 5. 2 x Surge protectors 6. 2 x mousepads

Software Requirements

The software used will either be licensed by FAU already or an open-source software where no cost is involved. Example software's: Isaac SIM Solidworks 2025 ANSYS simulation Orcaflex Project Chrono Drake MBDyn OpenFOAM SU2 ParaView

Personnel Costs

OIT receival and setup of computers. Estimated 4 hours.

Other Costs

N/A

Timeline

Week 0: Computers are received and necessary software is installed by OIT Week 1-2: Computer setup and verification of software's Week 2 - Year 1: Monitor performance and gather student/faculty feedback on the systems

Sustainability

Due to the computers being top of the line, the sustainability of this project should reach 5 years. These are tools that can have a large impact for a long time.

Resource Matching

N/A

Implementing Organization

The COECS will implement and monitor these systems.