Conducted by: Cruz Soto and Emily Albornoz

Location: In a car (TBD)

Safety Precautions:

• Safety officer must audibly countdown before the test and ensure that everyone is paying attention

• The SO should inspect all test articles prior to initiating the vibration test

• If the AV tower falls out of the car, wait for the car to fully stop before allowing anyone to approach the test article

• Strict 80 foot keep-out zone from the vehicle must be established, which all test participants must obey. Members should ensure that no bystanders are present. The SO must ensure that no one is in the expected path of the vehicle regardless of distance from the test articles. Mark of the test area (such as with caution tape) or otherwise guard entrances from bystanders.

• Call MIT Police 617-253-1212 to report an emergency.

  
  

Goals:

• Evaluate whether external vibrations caused avionics equipment to prematurely power on within the tower

• Evaluate the reliability of a screw switch as the primary mechanism for turning on avionics components within the AV tower

• Validate the manufacturing and integration of our hardware components

Materials:

• Car

• Duct tape

• Medium-sized cardboard box

• Closed toed shoes

• Fully assembled AV Tower with screw switch

Vibration Testing Procedure:

• Ensure AV tower is fully assembled. Make sure avionics equipment is turned off.

• Duct tape an unassembled cardboard box to the surface of the trunk. Orient box so that the walls create an enclosure with an open top and bottom.

• Place AV tower into the boxed enclosure in trunk. Ensure the tower is laying directly on the trunk’s surface and has sufficient room to shake around.

• Drive for 50 yards, increasing the car's speed each trial. Test at 20mph, 40mph, 60mph. Drive through dirt or bumpy roads to simulate driving through desert conditions, if possible.

• After each trial, park the car and inspect AV tower for movement. Check if avionics has turned on.