Week: Applications and implications
Questions to be answered
Purpose and Functionality
The active margins simulator will illustrate the interaction between tectonic plates and the generation of earthquakes.
Prior Work
A similar model was observed in a video featuring a museum exhibit in Japan.
Design Specifications
- Chassis: MDF wood
- Rollers: Treadmill design
- Tectonic Plates: Acrylic
- Cityscape: Utilizing a pre-printed city model (from discarded prints)
Materials and Components
- ATmega328P microcontroller for programming
- MPU6050 accelerometer as a sensor
- Acrylic sheets
- MDF wood
- Spring-form pens
- PLA filament for 3D printing
Source and Cost
Materials will be sourced from FabLab CIDI. Estimated costs include:
- MDF wood: $20 USD
- Acrylic: $30 USD
- MPU sensor: $10 USD
- ATmega328P: $17 USD
- Pens: $3 USD
- PLA: $21 USD
- Treadmill fabric: $10 USD
- PCB: $2 USD
Manufacturing Components
- PCB fabrication
- Roller and fence assembly
- Creation of acrylic plates
Production Processes
- 3D printing
- Laser cutting
- CNC milling
- Thermoforming
- Programming
Research Questions
The project aims to answer fundamental queries about earthquake mechanisms.
Evaluation Criteria
Evaluation will be based on educational objectives, emphasizing student explanations of the simulated phenomena.