K–12 Mechatronics Projects
Light Refraction & Reflection Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory Servomotor
Light source
Light sensor
The reflection experiment test-bed is used for both light reflection and absorption experiments. A common laser pointer is used as the light source. A photoresistor is used as the light sensor. KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTORS PHOTORESISTOR LASER POINTER
Light Refraction & Reflection Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory Light source
Light sensor
Potentiometer
Limit switches The refraction experiment test-bed is used to measure the index of refraction for various media. KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR DC MOTOR PHOTORESISTOR LINEAR POTENTIOMETER LASER POINTER H-BRIDGE LIMIT SWITCH
Heat Conduction & Periodic Motion Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory
DS1620
DB-15 adapter
The conduction experiment test-bed is used to measure heat conductivity through the rod. A hole has been bored into one end of each rod for the heating element to be inserted. The other end of the rod is placed into an ice water bath.
DS1620
KEY PARTS: THERMAL SENSOR HEATER ALUMINIUM ROD ICE BATH SOLID STATE RELAY
Heat Conduction & Periodic Motion Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory Horizontal reference
θ
IR transmitter
t Mass Vertical reference
r mg
IR receiver
The pendulum experiment test-bed is used to measure the periodicity of a simple pendulum. The length of the pendulum is adjusted by the servomotor through a pulley. KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR INFRARED EMITTER INFRARED DETECTOR MASS
Conductivity Experiment Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory
This experiment shows that conductivity of water increases by adding salt content to the water. Key Parts:
DC Motor Agitator Reed Relay Lab Beaker Electrodes Flow Control Knob
Static Friction Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory The static friction coefficient test-bed is used to experimentally determine the coefficient of static friction between various surfaces. It consists of a horizontal base and a plate that can be rotated from a level plane to the vertical position.
Stopper IR receiver
IR transmitter
Potentiometer
ADC with span and offset
Circuitry Stopper
H-Bridge DC motor
KEY PARTS: DC MOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETER ANALOG DIGITAL CONVERTER INFRARED EMITTER INFRARED DETECTOR
SMART 2003 Projects Static Equilibrium Teachers: Robert Gandolfo & Paul Friedman T
FH
x
W3 W1
W2
FV
FORCES = 0 TORQUE = 0
Vdd Vdd P3 Incline sensor
Vdd
Offset
ADC 0831
KEY PARTS: TWO SERVOMOTORS ROTARY POTENTIOMETER P4 SLIDE POTENTIOMETER P5 LOAD CELL Vdd LEAD SCREW
The Smart Road Physics Core Correlation: Kinematics
Teachers: Clay Davis & Richard Balsamel
A Mechatronics Demonstration Project
Servomotor Assembly
Board of Education and Basic Stamp 2
Photogate KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETER LEDS PHOTOTRANSISTORS
Catch Me If You Can Teachers: John Luvera & Michael McDonnell
x Voxt
Vo cos 2Vo sin g
KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR DC MOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETERS LAUNCHER H-BRIDGE SOLID STATE RELAY ANALOG DIGITAL CONVERTER
The Physics of Projectile Motion Teachers: William Leacock & Marlene McGarrity
KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR DC MOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETERS PUSH SOLENOID H-BRIDGE INFRARED EMITTERS PHOTOTRANSISTORS ANALOG DIGITAL CONVERTER SOUND PLAYBACK MODULE
The Ro-Boe-Clock Teachers: Michelle Carpenter-Smith & David Deutsch
8
Y1
X Z9Y9 9 A10 B10
4L 4
C 10 10 ED 10 GF10 H 1010
10
H2 E8 F8 G H8 I88 J8 K8
D8
J9 K9 L N 99 M9 P9 O9 Q9 R9
N 4M
I4
4
I9
L3 S2 V2 W2
2
B9 C9 A8
L M88 N8 O8 P8
T9
F3 P4 E3 Z2 D3 T2 A35 B3 C3 U2
X2
Y2
A9 Z7
B8
5
W7
J5 E7
F7
K5 L5 D7 2 S Z6 Y T5 5 6 M
H7
Q4
R5
5
G7
A7 B7
U5
4
I7 J7
J4
O4 6
C7 6
Z5
N O 6 P6 6
L6 M6
10
To teach children ages 4-7 how to tell time
A6 8
Encoder
KEY PARTS: BINARY ENCODER PHOTORESISTORS ROTARY POTENTIOMETER SERVOMOTORS INFRARED EMITTER INFRARED DETECTOR MOBILE ROBOT
2004 SMART Projects The SMART Intersection Teachers: Michael Koumoullos & Robert Winston
Key Parts:
IR LED IR Phototransistor Mechanical Relay Light bulb
Quantum Leap Teachers: Amanda, Gunning, & Ram Avni
This project demonstrates absorption or emission spectra when an electron moves from one shell to another Key Parts:
Servomotor Photoresistor LEDs
The SMART Weather Balloon Teachers: Ronald Occhiogrosso & Lennox Henry
The SMART Weather Balloon captures Temperature and Pressure data from 0 to 9 m high. Key Parts:
Temperature/Humidity Sensor Parallax Homework Board Radio Controlled Balloon
Velocity Monitoring via Magnetic Interaction Teachers: Vincent Pereira & Steven Scharf
This project proves the Faradays Law that there is a linear relationship between the induced voltage in a coil and the rate at which the magnetic field changes within the loops Key Parts: Coil Magnet IR LED IR Phototransistor Operational Amplifier Analog Digital Converter
I Push! You Push Back!: Newton’s 3rd Law in Action Teachers: Dvora Geller, Ed Gruber, & Denise McNamara
This project proves Newton’s Third Law of motion Key Parts:
LCD Load Cell Punch Mitt
2005 SMART Projects Coefficient of Restitution the Bouncing Ball Teachers: Lennon Safe and Carol Obler The coefficient of restitution is a number which indicates how much kinetic energy (energy of motion) remains after a collision of two objects. This project measures the coefficient of restitution and determines how elastic the object is.
Key Parts : Ultrasonic Sensor DC Motor
Vehicle of Revolution Teachers: Henry Penna, Michael Fishenfeld, and Douraine Stewart
The objective of the project is to build a preprogrammed model that will roll or drive a certain distance. The student determines the number of revolutions that the car will make to get to the target and student will enter that prediction into the model vehicle’s display screen and then observe moving vehicle. Key Parts:
Lexan DC Motor LCD Display Gears
Earth’s Seasonal Heat Absorption and Climate Regions Model Teachers: Joseph Renna and Rodolfo Vera
The Earth-Sun insolation model effectively shows the differences in heat absorption at three latitudes set in the Northern Hemisphere
Key Parts:
Analog Temperature Probes Servo Motor LCD Display Plexi Glass
The Heat Seeking Flame Probe Teachers: Michael Francesco and Fady Ishak The Heat Seeking Flame Probe (HSFP) determines the hottest section in a flame.It will vertically traverse a flame,sampling different temperatures, until it locates the hottest section of the flame.
Key Parts:
Type K Thermocouple ADC 0831 Servo Motor Plexiglass
Finding the Critical Angle of a Prism Teachers: Mustafa Kilic and Thomas Byrne
This project finds the critical angle of a medium. It explains Concept of total internal reflection.
Key Parts:
Photoresistor ADC 0831 Chip Laser Acrylic Lens
The Smart Resonance Tube Teachers: Joe Rodichok and Robert Morris
The SMART Resonance Tube will accurately determine the tube length which forces the tube into its first mode of vibration. This essentially makes the tube accept the selected frequency as its first harmonic frequency.
Key Parts:
Speaker and Microphone Dc Motor Position Sensor
The Codon Decoder Teachers: Vera Mihalcik and Cameron Jahn
Models the process of protein synthesis within the ribosome. Helps students understand which amino acids are created by manipulating RNA coding.
Key Parts:
LCD Potentiometer knob Buttons Servo motors and belts
Robo Submarine Teachers: Joy Hinds and James Kevin Mcmahon This project illustrates the Archimedes' Principle. The Robo submarine descends into a body of water, stay for a set period of time, collect data and stores the collected data
Key Parts: Solenoids 12 volt Tank Valve Airbrush propellers pvc pipes