Student sensor lab at home: safe repurposing of your gadgets

KALASHNIKOV, Alexander, HOLLOWAY, Alan and ELYOUNSI, Ali (2020). Student sensor lab at home: safe repurposing of your gadgets. Engineering proceedings.

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Official URL: https://sciforum.net/paper/view/conference/8268
Link to published version:: https://doi.org/10.3390/ecsa-7-08268

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic imposed various restrictions on the accessibility of conventional teaching laboratories. Enabling learning and experimenting at home became necessary to support the practical element of students’ learning. Unfortunately, it is not viable to provide or share a fully featured sensor lab to every student because of the prohibitive costs involved. Therefore, repurposing electronic devices that are common to students can bring about the sought-after practical learning experience without the hefty price tag. In distinction to the conventional lab instruments though, consumer grade devices are not designed for use with external sensors and/or electronic circuitry. They are not professionally maintained, do not undergo periodic safety tests and are not calibrated. Nevertheless, nearly all modern computers, laptops, tablets or smartphones are equipped with high quality audio inputs and outputs that can generate and record signals in the audible frequency range (20 Hz – 20 kHz). Despite cutting off the direct currents completely, this range might be sufficient for working with a variety of sensors. In this presentation we look at the possibilities of making sure that such repurposing by design prevents any potential harm to the learner and to her or his personal equipment. These features seem essential for unsupervised alone experimenting and avoiding damage to expensive devices.

Item Type: Article
Identification Number: https://doi.org/10.3390/ecsa-7-08268
SWORD Depositor: Symplectic Elements
Depositing User: Symplectic Elements
Date Deposited: 20 Nov 2020 11:22
Last Modified: 17 Mar 2021 17:01
URI: https://shura.shu.ac.uk/id/eprint/27632

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