Second Order Mechanical Online Acquisition System (Rube)
- Conference
- Location
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Chicago, Illinois
- Publication Date
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June 18, 2006
- Start Date
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June 18, 2006
- End Date
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June 21, 2006
- ISSN
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2153-5965
- Conference Session
- Tagged Division
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Division Experimentation & Lab-Oriented Studies
- Page Count
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23
- Page Numbers
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11.1108.1 - 11.1108.23
- DOI
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10.18260/1-2--420
- Permanent URL
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https://peer.asee.org/420
- Download Count
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480
Paper Authors
Peter Avitabile University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Peter Avitabile is an Associate Professor in the Mechanical Engineering Department and the Director of the Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. He is a Registered Professional Engineer with a BS, MS and Doctorate in Mechanical Engineering and a member of ASEE, ASME and SEM.
Tracy Van Zandt University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Tracy is a graduate student in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts. She is currently working on her Master’s Degrees in the Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory while concurrently working on an NSF Engineering Education Grant directed towards integrating STEM material critical for understanding dynamic systems response.
Nels Wirkkala University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Nels is a graduate student in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts. He is currently working on his Master’s Degrees in the Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory while concurrently working on an NSF Engineering Education Grant directed towards integrating STEM material critical for understanding dynamic systems response.
Jeffrey Hodgkins University of Massachusetts-Lowell
Jeff is a graduate student in the Mechanical Engineering Department at the University of Massachusetts. He is currently working on his Master’s Degrees in the Modal Analysis and Controls Laboratory while concurrently working on an NSF Engineering Education Grant directed towards integrating STEM material critical for understanding dynamic systems response.
Abstract
NOTE: The first page of text has been automatically extracted and included below in lieu of an abstract
SECOND ORDER MECHANICAL ONLINE ACQUISITION SYSTEM (R.U.B.E.)
Abstract
A second order mechanical system is operated in an online, internet controlled LabVIEW experiment with impulsive and displacement input excitations. The system displacements and accelerations are measured using multiple measuring devices. The selection of transducers spans the range of poor transducer sensitivity, noisy measurements, inadequate resolution and clipped signals. The students must collect and process the data to numerically integrate and differentiate the displacement and acceleration measurements. A variety of different issues must be addressed in order to cleanse the data of real-world measurement contaminants; filtering, smoothing, bias adjustment are a few of the issues that need to be addressed.
The measurement system forces the students to address issues related to real-world measurements which are tainted by a variety of different contaminants. In addition to the actual measurement system, a virtual measurement system is also available to study the individual effects that may contaminate the measurement system in a controlled fashion.
The actual measurement system has variable mechanical parameters—it changes every time it is operated so that no two sets of data are alike (variable input, variable mass, variable stiffness). This forces each student to process his/her own data, as it will be slightly different from data sets collected by other students. The RUBE (Response Under Basic Excitation) is described along with the supporting tools that assist the student in the evaluation of the acquired data.
Assessments of the first three semesters of the project clearly indicate that the students enjoyed this hands-on project and clearly felt that they understood the material in much greater depth as a result of the project.
Problem & Approach Taken
Many times students do not clearly understand the need for basic STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics) material. Courses in the early part of their educational experience present the necessary prerequisite material for upper level courses. However, the students never realize the importance of this material since it is taught without any real-world, practical application. Thus, the student has no initiative to retain the material and try to integrate it into their knowledge database. The cartoon in Figure 1 is a common theme heard time and time again by just about every professor in regards to STEM material.
Avitabile, P., & Van Zandt, T., & Wirkkala, N., & Hodgkins, J. (2006, June), Second Order Mechanical Online Acquisition System (Rube) Paper presented at 2006 Annual Conference & Exposition, Chicago, Illinois. 10.18260/1-2--420
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