2012 UCI Energy Invitational
Please contact me if you would like to join us at the 2012 UCI Energy Invitational.
Mechanism Generator 3.0
Our Mechanism Generator 3.0 software reads a SolidWorks sketch of a planar 3R chain that reaches five task positions and computes a set of Watt 1 six-bar linkages that approximate movement through the task positions within specified tolerances. An animation previewer shows how each linkage moves. Select one and MechGen 3 generates a solid model of the linkage.
This is more excellent work from the team of Alex Arredondo and Kastubh Sonawale.
**Update: This video has been revised to provide a preview at the beginning that shows the six-bar linkage that is designed using MechGen 3.
Mechanism Generator 2.0 (MechGen 2)
We have a trial version of our Mechanism Generator 2.0 software available. MechGen 2 reads five task positions of a moving part in SolidWorks and generates a set of linkages that approximate the positions within specified tolerances. An animation previewer shows how each linkage moves. Select one and MechGen 2 generates the solid model of the linkage.
This is the result of excellent work by Alex Arredondo and Kaustubh Sonawale.
This video demonstrates the operation of MechGen 2:
Happy Holidays and Have a Great New Year
Happy holidays and have a happy new year!
Instruments for Natural Philosophy
This site has photographs of a large number of devices used to teach physics. It is fascinating.
Select the link: http://physics.kenyon.edu/EarlyApparatus/index.html
Mentoring program for collegiate competition teams
Mentor program for collegiate competition projects
Introduction:
SAE is a leader in demonstrating the importance of major engineering competition projects to engineering education. Colleges around the world have adopted this model and included FSAE and similar competitions as part of their educational program. Despite budget limitations, universities are increasingly moving to major competition projects to develop and demonstrate the engineering skills of their students.
The excitement of building and testing remote controlled airplanes, autonomous underwater vehicles, Mini-Baja and FSAE racecars and other projects attracts students and provides them meaningful experience in team engineering, as well as the opportunity to prove their skills to potential employers. Industrial mentors are needed to team with the faculty advisors in order to ensure the student engineers get the most of these experiences.
Machines on Wikipedia
I have spent quite a bit of time revising articles on machines in Wikipedia. I hope my contributions are an improvement.
When I started there was a lot of controversy over the definition of Machine, which forced me to introduce Machine (mechanical) and Mechanical system. This has changed and there is movement to move the definitions under a revised version of Machine.
Please take a look:
- Machine, Machine (mechanical), and Mechanical system
- Linkage (mechanical)
- Four-bar linkage
- Six-bar linkage
- Kinematic pair
- Screw axis
- Mechanism (engineering)
- Mechanical advantage
- Overconstrained mechanism
- Burmester’s theory
- Instantaneous center of rotation
- Screw theory
- Dual quaternion
- Virtual work
Anyone may edit Wikipedia, and it is intended to allow user communities to maintain the quality of particular sets articles. It is important that we take this opportunity because Wikipedia is an important resource to our students.
Photos from Thursday, 2011 FSAE California
Select this link to access the SAE SoCal section facebook page with photos of activities on Thursday of the 2011 FSAE California.
Photo of Competitors at 2011 EI2
Photo of competitors
This is a group photo of the competitors at our recent 2011 Energy Invitational at the Streets of Willow Springs prepared by Lee-Huang Chen. A higher resolution image can be downloaded at the link: Energy Invitational Photo
Photos: 2011 UCI Energy Invitational
Lee-Huang Chen and Corey Sandler have posted photos from our 2011 UCI Energy Invitational.