Related papers: Working with simple machines
Experiments performed in the Physics Laboratory play a significant role in understanding the concepts taught in the theory. A good accompanying laboratory manual serves as a concise guideline which students can use to complete the…
We carried out a qualitative study to identify the "missing pieces" in current computing devices and technologies that are preventing people from eliminating paper from their lives. Most of the existing literature has looked into the work…
Pushing is a motion primitive useful to handle objects that are too large, too heavy, or too cluttered to be grasped. It is at the core of much of robotic manipulation, in particular when physical interaction is involved. It seems…
A workflow describes the entirety of processing steps in an analysis, such as employed in many fields of physics. Workflow management makes the dependencies between individual steps of a workflow and their computational requirements…
Learning to create, use, and evaluate models is a central element of becoming a scientist. In physics, we often begin an analysis of a complex system with highly simplified or toy models. In introductory physics classes, we tend to use them…
In this work, we begin the study of a new class of dynamical systems determined by interval maps generated by the symbolic action of erasing substitution rules. We do this by discussing in some detail the geometric, analytical, dynamical…
When explaining to a lay audience the magnitude of forces or accelerations imparted to vehicles or experienced by vehicle occupants during a motor vehicle collision, it is often helpful to recast the critical results in terms of other…
We describe four classical undergraduate physics experiments that were done with everyday objects and low-cost sensors: mechanical oscillations, transmittance of light through a slab of matter, beam deformation under load, and thermal…
This paper proposes a novel robotic hand design for assembly tasks. The idea is to combine two simple grippers -- an inner gripper which is used for precise alignment, and an outer gripper which is used for stable holding. Conventional…
Entropy is a difficult concept to teach using real-world examples. Unlike temperature, pressure, volume, or work, it's not a quantity which most students encounter in their day-to-day lives. Even the way entropy is often qualitatively…
In dynamic simulation of complete wheel loaders, one interesting aspect, specific for the working task, is the momentary power distribution between drive train and hydraulics, which is balanced by the operator. This paper presents the…
We describe a mobile manipulation hardware and software system capable of autonomously performing complex human-level tasks in real homes, after being taught the task with a single demonstration from a person in virtual reality. This is…
Physics education research has probed for the relevance of physics in students' everyday lives. Attitudinal and epistemological surveys have asked students if they think of or use physics in their daily lives. We have previously documented…
In this chapter, I review the main methods and techniques of complex systems science. As a first step, I distinguish among the broad patterns which recur across complex systems, the topics complex systems science commonly studies, the tools…
With the increasing complexity of modern industrial automatic and robotic systems, an increasing burden is put on the operators, who are requested to supervise and interact with very complex systems, typically under challenging and…
A priority of physics instruction is to help students make the connection between the formulae they think they are required to memorize and the real world in which they interact every day. If you ask students to describe a situation in real…
This paper introduces abstractions that are meaningful for computers and that can be built and used according to computers' own criteria, i.e., computable abstractions. It is analyzed how abstractions can be seen to serve as the building…
An introduction to applied mathematics written for students in engineering and science. Focus is on a rigorous presentation that also builds understanding by discussion, analogy, and examples. Discussion of concepts involved in modeling…
A mix of intelligent systems and robotics is making engineering industries much more efficient, precise and able to adapt. How artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning (ML) and autonomous robotic technologies are changing…
It is a fact of our existence, that no matter where we are, we most often find ourselves either hearing, seeing, talking, or even engaged in design related activities. Despite this reality, the notion of 'design', and in particular…