Vehicle kinematics with smartphones for engineering students

Abstract

Informal learning environments play a critical role to develop interest and capacities to pursue science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) learning. Smartphones include a set of built-in sensors (accelerometer, gyroscope, magnetometer, light sensor, microphone, ...) that allow the design of a wide range of experiences outside laboratory. The proposed experiment, using the students’ own devices, allows them to analyse, the movement of a vehicle, using simultaneously two smartphone sensors in order to understand basic concepts of automotive kinematics.