See Labs Run: A Design-Oriented Laboratory for Teaching Dynamic Systems

Design engineers must have an intuitive understanding of the behavior of dynamic systems. Teaching the mathematical tools for analyzing and designing dynamic systems presents the challenge of maintaining the connection to the physical world. This paper describes a novel sequence of undergraduate laboratory experiments that illustrates basic concepts in dynamic system analysis and motivates their use as design tools. The approach taken connects the laboratory sessions with a design goal for a dynamic mechanical device that the students can see, touch, re-design and modify. The device used is called the “Dashpod,” a simple, pneumatically-actuated, self-stabilizing, dynamic hopping machine. Through coordinated laboratory sessions and lectures, students used classroom concepts to improve the machine’s hopping motion. This paper describes the purpose and design of the Dashpod, presents examples of how it was integrated into laboratory exercises and shows results of student evaluations.