Motorized Drawbridge • ME-7028
Motorized drawbridge built from PASCO Structures
What’s Included
- 1x //control.Node (PS-3232)
- 1x Wireless Load Cell and Accelerometer (PS-3216)
- 1x Low Speed Stepper Motor (PS-2978)
- 1x Motor Mount (Set of 2) (ME-7020)
- 1x Gear Set (ME-7021)
- 1x Structures Counterweight (ME-7037)
- 8x Structures I-beam #1
- 10x Structures I-beam #2
- 3x Structures I-beam #3
- 9x Structures I-beam #4
- 10x Structures I-beam #5
- 18x Structures Connectors
- 100x Structures 6-32 Screws
- 4x Angle Connectors
- 2x Sliding Connectors
- 1x Structures Long Axle
- 1x Shaft Spline Adapter
- 2x Structures Axle Bearings
- 1x Structures Spacer
- 1x Structures Collet
- 4x 4-40 x 1/2-inch Phillips Screws
- 1x Storage Box
- Description
Description
Build this drawbridge from PASCO Structures, add a stepper motor and gears, and write code to raise and lower it. This bridge kit also includes a Wireless Load Cell/Accelerometer to measure forces within the bridge while it moves.
Perform These Experiments
- Build the drawbridge
- Raise and lower the drawbridge
- Measure forces in top and bottom beams
- Measure support forces
- Effect of the counterweight on motor acceleration
- Effect of different gear ratios
- Use the load cell as a limit switch
- Operate the drawbridge in response to a signal
How It Works
- Students build the drawbridge using step-by-step illustrated instructions. Then they use Blockly coding (embedded in PASCO’s Capstone or SPARKvue software) to program the drawbridge to raise and lower.
- Three sets of gears allow students to investigate the effects of different gear ratios.
- The Load Cell can be added to various places in the bridge to measure loads while the bridge moves. The load is displayed on a graph in real time.
- The Load Cell can be used as a limit switch to stop the bridge movement when the bridge arm pushes on the load cell.
- The speaker in the //control.Node can be programmed to beep or play music to warn when the bridge is going to move.
- The accelerometer in the //control.Node can be used to control the drawbridge movement in response to a change in acceleration, such as simply turning the //control.Node upside-down.
