CONFERENCES
E&PDE 2026 - 28th International Conference on Engineering & Product Design Education
The Conference will bring together representatives from education and industry interested in sharing new perspectives on design education.
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In addition to research papers, the Design Society is developing several valuable resources for those interested in the study of design. These include a repository of PhD theses, a library of case studies and transcripts of design activities, and an archive of our newsletters. Please note that these resources are accessible exclusively to Design Society members.
COMPONENT SWAP ON VIRTUAL CATAPULTS FOR PROBLEM-SOLVING IN ENGINEERING EDUCATION
Nutzmann, Marc; Dietmüller, Thomas; Venzky-Stalling, Tobias; Bärenweiler, Simon; Huber, Manuel
Type:
Year:
2026
Editor:
Buck, Lyndon; Brisco. Ross; Bohemia, Erik
Author:
Series:
E&PDE
Institution:
DHBW Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University Ravensburg, Germany
Page(s):
185 - 190
DOI number:
ISBN:
978-1-912254-24-8
ISSN:
3005-4753
Abstract:
This paper presents a virtual catapult simulation for training students in problem-solving methods in the lecture ‘Quality Management’. The virtual approach focuses on the ‘component swap method’, in which individual components of two assemblies are systematically exchanged to analyse their impact on quality characteristics. Although ‘component swap’ is widely used in industrial problem solving, current training with physical assemblies suffers in terms of efficiency due to high resource demands, operator impact and barriers to participation. Our approach integrates inclusive design and accessibility: adaptive difficulty levels and data-driven feedback accommodate varied prior knowledge and learning styles. A virtual catapult model with interchangeable components enables systematic variation and automated generation of data without the variability of a real catapult. A web interface provides interactive scenarios and plots the generated data for further analysis and evidence-based conclusions. Gamification is embedded: learners earn points for identifying influential components with minimal swaps and take on challenges with increasing levels of difficulty. A first evaluation with a heterogeneous student cohort assesses technical validity and usability. It indicates more precise results, reduced operator variation and thus greater methodological confidence and flexibility compared to physical training with catapults. Overall, the web-based simulation enables efficient, scalable and inclusive training of problem-solving methods such as systematic ‘component swap’ in engineering education.
Keywords:
