When the Earth Shook! (Smart Earthquake Seismograph & Shake Table)
Source: Stemoto Original
Simulate the 2001 Gujarat earthquake! Build a motorized shake table with an MPU6050 3-axis accelerometer seismograph. Plot real-time Richter scale seismic wave charts and test earthquake-resistant building designs.
Categorisation
Props & Materials Required
- •Motorized cam-driven earthquake shake table platform
- •MPU6050 3-axis accelerometer sensor (seismograph module)
- •Building models (Block tower vs Triangular braced earthquake-resistant structure)
- •ESP32 controller board
- •0.96-inch OLED display screen (plots live seismic waveforms)
- •DFPlayer Mini MP3 module + 3W speaker
Step-by-Step Instructions
Place Block Tower on Shake Table
Build a plain block tower on the shake table platform.
Turn ON Shake Table (P-Waves)
Start shake motor at low speed. MPU6050 records minor tremors. OLED draws seismic waveform.
Increase Shake Speed (S-Waves)
Increase motor speed to simulate Magnitude 6.8 earthquake! Plain block tower collapses!
Test Earthquake-Resistant Design
Test triangular-braced structure with flexible base springs. Structure absorbs seismic waves without collapsing! OLED displays 'STRUCTURAL INTEGRITY: SAFE!'
Why It Works & Notes
When the Earth Shook! recounts earthquake experiences and disaster relief. Building an electronic seismograph with an MPU6050 accelerometer that plots seismic P and S waves on an OLED screen teaches structural engineering and geology.
Looking Around Class 5 Chapter 14: When the Earth Shook! | STEM Tech: MEMS 3-Axis Seismic Acceleration Waveform Plotting & Earthquake Resilient Structural Engineering — civil seismic isolation systems.