Teaching Mechanism Calibration to Engineering Students

• Published in: Key engineering materials 2014-06, Vol.615, p.171-176
• Main Authors: Aguilar Martín, Juan José, Majarena, Ana Cristina, Samper, David, Mazo, Jorge Santolaria
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Accuracy; Calibration; Education; Engineering education; Kinematics; Students; Teaching
• ISSN: 1013-9826; 1662-9795; 1662-9795
• DOI: 10.4028/www.scientific.net/KEM.615.171

A new practical application for teaching mechanism calibration to engineering students in senior undergraduate courses is presented in this paper. The modelling, characterization and calibration of kinematic mechanisms is performed. This application presents a special interest in kinematic mechanisms in areas such as industry and research. The application interface allows the students to carry out the different steps of the calibration procedure in an easy way, to change different variables and to analyze results. This application therefore presents an important utility as a teaching tool for the learning process and analysis of the different steps in the mechanism optimization. The application developed allows students: to design their own mechanisms and to analyze the mechanism workspace by changing some design parameters, to test accuracy and repeatability of mechanism components, to introduce the mechanism kinematic model, to evaluate the mechanism performance before calibration, to calibrate the mechanism and, finally, to analyze the improvement in the system accuracy.