Innovative learning spaces represent a pioneering educational environment engineered to investigate and exhibit varied pedagogical practices through the application of advanced technologies and versatile classroom configurations. Since its objective is to prepare students for future complexities by incorporating interactive digital tools, promoting cooperation, and facilitating active learning experiences, Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics workshops are essential in actively involving undergraduate students in research activities. On the other hand, wearable biosensors are making a substantial impact in education, acting as valuable resources for educators and useful tools for students. For instance, bio-metric signals have the potential to optimize academic practices, providing valuable insights into the teaching-learning process. In this context, it is vital for engineering students to acquire the skills and knowledge necessary for the cognitive process of collecting, processing, and modeling data using various wearable sensor technologies. This work presents a case study on project-based learning in engineering education, focusing on a biomechanical analysis project. The project involves analyzing a dancer's performance of improvisations expressing joy or sadness, with the presence of an immersive space. This activity enhances students' understanding of experimental design, signal processing tasks, angular acceleration in joint per participant, and environment-dependent accelerations, while also exploring the user experience of biosensors as a brain-computer interface for electroencephalogram signal monitoring, a medical-grade wearable device that provides real-time physiological data acquisition and streaming, and a camera for tracking joint movements during dance improvisation. In this evaluation, two sets of engineering students were taken into account: a group that attended the course in a traditional classroom setting, and another group that participated in an innovative space. The results suggest that innovative learning environments and medical-grade instruments can positively impact student engagement and understanding of advanced concepts in neuroengineering. Both groups shared positive feedback on the learning experience and expressed their willingness to recommend the course to others.

Currently, traditional educational methodologies are not enough for engineering education. Active learning strategies are crucial for undergraduates' preparation and professional development. Simulation-based learning stands out as an effective approach to bridging the gap between theoretical and applied knowledge, providing students with practical experience and a deeper understanding of complex engineering concepts. In this context, an educational graphical interface called Flexloop was developed. The tool can be downloaded and run in any operating system without the requirements of a particular software. The Flexloop tool aims to enhance undergraduate chemical engineering students' learning process in the Automation and Control of Chemical Processes course. This application allows students to dynamically simulate and model different chemical processes, considering first-order, second-order, and high-order dynamic systems. The intrinsic parameters of each process, considered in this tool, can be modified in the platform, and the system's response can be observed in real-time, such that the students can analyze the effect of a particular parameter of design on the transient dynamics of the system. The application offers simulations for tank-level dynamic systems, heat-exchanger thermodynamics, the reaction kinetics of reactors, and imported data processes from experimental platforms, promoting active learning and a deeper understanding of control concepts for different dynamic systems. To assess the effectiveness of the platform, a study was conducted with a sample of 29 students. The students completed a set of identical tests with and without the use of the application and an opinion survey. The results showed a marked improvement in test scores when using the application, particularly in understanding complex control processes. Furthermore, the survey indicated that students found the application engaging and beneficial for their learning. The study demonstrates that simulation-based learning can significantly enhance student engagement and comprehension in engineering education, particularly the control theory courses in Chemical Engineering. Future work will focus on refining the graphical user interface to improve the user experience and expand its educational capabilities for different controller-design purposes.

Traditionally, research and scientific endeavors have predominantly involved graduate students, often sidelining participation of undergraduate students. However, integrating under-graduate students into leading cutting-edge projects significantly enhances their academic experience and professional growth. This manuscript delves into the case study of Conscious Technologies, an innovative research group comprising the Campus City initiative and the IUCRC International BRAIN Affiliate Site at Tecnologico de Monterrey. The group's focus encompasses smart city solutions, computer vision, robotic operating systems, neuroengineering, biometry, and biomechanics, all powered by artificial intelligence. The group efficiently manages a diverse array of projects by employing methodologies such as agile project management and a progressive-phased research approach, which leads to beneficial outcomes for all stakeholders. Undergraduate students gain hands-on experience, increasing their prospects for admission into prestigious graduate programs abroad, while at the same time, research professors expand their international presence through impactful publications. High research output gradually fosters collaboration, including exchanges and stays abroad, further catalyzing the centre's growth. By tackling real-world challenges within a well-structured framework, supplemented with intrinsic and extrinsic rewards and regular meetings, students enjoy autonomy within guided projects, culminating in the publication of 26 scientific works over a span of three years.

Currently, vehicles come equipped with a growing number of electronic devices that enable various driving assis-tance systems. From an academic perspective, it is imperative that engineering students develop the skills and knowledge necessary to handle standardized devices in the automotive industry. To promote interaction with this technology and disseminate theo-retical concepts, innovative ideas, and critical thinking, educative workshops playa crucial role in engaging undergraduate students in the research field. This article presents a case study of an active learning method (project-based learning) in engineering education at Tecnologico de Monterrey, which involves developing an automotive control project using an industrial-level controller, i.e., a Vehicle Control Unit (VCU). This activity helps students to learn signal processing tasks, control design problems, and analyze the capabilities of VCU with simpler environments like Arduino. Typically, students conduct these activities following a research methodology. For this assessment, two groups of engineering students have been defined. One group has previously undergone a control engineering course, while the other group has not. The study evaluated the results obtained from the statisti-cal analysis of the scores of the two groups with respect to their involvement in industrial equipment projects and their perceptions of the project complexity. The first group consisted of undergraduates who had not taken a control course, and the second group included those who have already taken it. Therefore, the first group showed a better understanding of the subject than the second group. However, both groups expressed a preference for conducting engineering projects with real vehicles instead of scaled -down models.

A Challenge based Learning (CBL) activity, with the participation of an industry partner, regarding automotive design for undergraduate engineering students is presented. During an academic semester, senior students in an specialization course became familiar with technical aspects regarding electric vehicles (EV) and learned about battery pack sizing and motor sizing as well. Students worked on a challenging case study to convert a VW Type 1 sedan with an internal combustion engine (ICE) into an EV. The work done by the students involved real-data, simulations, cost analysis, 3D scanning, multiple CAD design iterations, and manufacturing processes. The achieved outcomes of the case were: an improved dynamic behavior and more sym-metrical weight distribution compared with the original vehicle, as well as a comparable power and energy delivery were also achieved at a lower cost compared with commercial conversion solutions. These results are evidence of the skills developed by the students as the CBL activity was developed and shows a promising project option for engineering students. It is observed how challenging students through a motivating situation that demands their intellectual curiosity, seeking to solve problems of global interest, and focusing on an application in their area of expertise, contributes to their professional development. This is an option for future final capstone projects in engineering.

A model for a Magneto-Rheological (MR) damper based on Artificial Neural Networks (ANN) is proposed. The design of the ANN model is focused to get the best architecture that manages the trade-off between computing cost and performance. Experimental data provided from two commercial MR dampers with different properties have been used to validate the performance of the proposed ANN model in comparison with the classical parametric model of Bingham. Based on the Root Mean Square Error index, an average error of 7.2 % is obtained by the ANN model, by taking into account 5 experiments with 10 replicas each one; while the Bingham model has 13.8 % of error.