K –12 Mechatronics Projects

1. K–12 Mechatronics Projects

2. Servomotor Light source Light sensor Light Refraction & Reflection Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory 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

3. Light source Light sensor Potentiometer Limit switches Light Refraction & Reflection Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory 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

4. DB-15 adapter DS1620 DS1620 Heat Conduction & Periodic Motion Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory 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. KEY PARTS: THERMAL SENSOR HEATER ALUMINIUM ROD ICE BATH SOLID STATE RELAY

5. IR transmitter Mass Horizontal reference IR receiver θ t Vertical reference r mg Heat Conduction & Periodic Motion Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory 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 INFRAREDDETECTOR MASS

6. Conductivity Experiment Mechatronics/Process Control Laboratory This experiment shows that conductivity of water increases by adding salt content to the water.

7. Potentiometer ADC with span and offset Stopper Circuitry IR receiver Stopper H-Bridge IR transmitter DC motor 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. KEY PARTS: DC MOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETER ANALOG DIGITAL CONVERTER INFRARED EMITTER INFRARED DETECTOR

8. T W3 W2  W1 FH  x FV SMART 2003 Projects Static Equilibrium Teachers: Robert Gandolfo & Paul Friedman  FORCES = 0  TORQUE = 0 KEY PARTS: TWO SERVOMOTORS ROTARY POTENTIOMETER SLIDE POTENTIOMETER LOAD CELL LEAD SCREW

9. The Smart Road Physics Core Correlation: Kinematics Teachers: Clay Davis & Richard Balsamel A Mechatronics Demonstration Project Board of Education and Basic Stamp 2 Photogate Servomotor Assembly KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETER LEDS PHOTOTRANSISTORS

10. Catch Me If You Can Teachers: John Luvera & Michael McDonnell KEY PARTS: SERVOMOTOR DC MOTOR ROTARY POTENTIOMETERS LAUNCHER H-BRIDGE SOLID STATE RELAY ANALOG DIGITAL CONVERTER

11. 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

12. Encoder The Ro-Boe-Clock Teachers: Michelle Carpenter-Smith & David Deutsch To teach children ages 4-7 how to tell time KEY PARTS: BINARY ENCODER PHOTORESISTORS ROTARY POTENTIOMETER SERVOMOTORS INFRARED EMITTER INFRARED DETECTOR MOBILE ROBOT

13. 2004 SMART Projects The SMART Intersection Teachers: Michael Koumoullos & Robert Winston

14. Quantum Leap Teachers: Amanda, Gunning, & Ram Avni This project demonstrates absorption or emission spectra when an electron moves from one shell to another

15. The SMART Weather Balloon Teachers: Ronald Occhiogrosso & Lennox Henry The SMART Weather Balloon captures Temperature and Pressure data from 0 to 9 m high.

16. 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

17. 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

18. 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

19. Key Parts: Lexan DC Motor LCD Display Gears 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.

20. Key Parts: Analog Temperature Probes Servo Motor LCD Display Plexi Glass 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

21. Key Parts: Type K Thermocouple ADC 0831 Servo Motor Plexiglass 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.

22. Key Parts: Photoresistor ADC 0831 Chip Laser Acrylic Lens 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.

23. Key Parts: Speaker and Microphone Dc Motor Position Sensor 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.

24. 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.

25. 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