Description
Statics is an introductory Mechanical Engineering class that all types of engineers are required to take. One difficulty students often face is the inability to visualize how forces are transferred through truss systems. The goal of this project is to create a hands-on system that students can interact with to reinforce their understanding of tension and compression in an affordable manner. This project will build on previous 3-D modeling work to create an entire 3-D printed truss system for in-class demonstrations and may provide a framework for future student projects. The interactive system will demonstrate the effects of a load by using force-dependent, length-adjustable plastic components as bars and foam ear plugs as joints. This poster will discuss the educational benefits of the project for Statics students and will also provide Solidworks parts files for dissemination. This hands-on tool built to enhance comprehension of forces may lead to reduced lab fees in follow-on upper division courses that demonstrate tension and compression by using expensive metals and heavy machinery. This project provides an affordable and easily accessible solution for learning the effects of tension and compression in a truss system, and a live demonstration will be held at the Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference.
Building Mechanical Intuition Through Hands-On Learning with Truss Components
Statics is an introductory Mechanical Engineering class that all types of engineers are required to take. One difficulty students often face is the inability to visualize how forces are transferred through truss systems. The goal of this project is to create a hands-on system that students can interact with to reinforce their understanding of tension and compression in an affordable manner. This project will build on previous 3-D modeling work to create an entire 3-D printed truss system for in-class demonstrations and may provide a framework for future student projects. The interactive system will demonstrate the effects of a load by using force-dependent, length-adjustable plastic components as bars and foam ear plugs as joints. This poster will discuss the educational benefits of the project for Statics students and will also provide Solidworks parts files for dissemination. This hands-on tool built to enhance comprehension of forces may lead to reduced lab fees in follow-on upper division courses that demonstrate tension and compression by using expensive metals and heavy machinery. This project provides an affordable and easily accessible solution for learning the effects of tension and compression in a truss system, and a live demonstration will be held at the Creative Collaborations Undergraduate Research Conference.