Immersion and interactive experience are introduced into a Solid Mechanics beam bending lab exercise by utilizing gesture-based analysis that is inexpensive, utilizes off-the-shelf cameras, and is highly portable for ease of use in the classroom. A cantilever I-beam is rendered in virtual reality (VR) and a user’s gestures are captured and interpreted in real-time to allow for natural interacti...

In this paper, modal analysis is carried out by using a Frenet frame-based shape measurement algorithm. This algorithm is validated through experiments conducted with a long slender, aluminum cantilever structure (65.625′′×2.0′′×0.125′′), which is instrumented with eight serially multiplexed fiber Bragg grating (FBG) sensors. The multiplexed FBG sensors measure the bending strain distribution a...

Abstract Double-cantilever beams (DCBs) are widely used to study mode-I fracture behavior and measure toughness under quasi-static loads. Recently, the authors have developed analytical solutions for DCBs dynamic loads with consideration of structural vibration wave propagation. There two methods beam-theory-based data reduction determine energy release rate: (i) using an effective built-in bou...

This paper focuses on several aspects extending the dynamical efficiency of a cantilever beam vibrating in the third mode. A few ways of producing this mode stimulation, namely vibro-impact or forced excitation, as well as its application for energy harvesting devices are proposed. The paper presents numerical and experimental analyses of novel structural dynamics effects along with an optimal ...

Numerical modelling of atomic force microscopy cantilever designs and experiments is presented with the aim of exploring friction mechanisms at the microscale. As a starting point for this work, comparisons between finite element (FE) models and previously reported mathematical models for stiffness calibration of cantilevers (beam and V-shaped) are presented and discrepancies highlighted. A col...

Abstract: In this study, a new analytical model is developed for an electrostatic Microelectromechanical System (MEMS) cantilever actuator to establish a relation between the displacement of its tip and the applied voltage. The proposed model defines the micro-cantilever as a rigid beam supported by a hinge at the fixed-end with a spring point force balancing the structure. The approach of the ...

Among the intermolecular interactions, the Casimir and van der Waals forces are the most important forces that highly affect the behavior of nanostructures. This paper studies the effect of such forces on the adhesion of cantilever freestanding nanostructures. The nanostructures are made of a freestanding nano-beam which is suspended between two upper and lower conductive surfaces. The linear s...

In this paper, the modified Euler-Bernoulli beam model is presented to examine the influence of surface elasticity and residual surface tension on the critical force of axial buckling of nanotubes in the presence of rotary inertia. An explicit solution is derived for the buckling loads of microscaled Euler beams considering surface effects. The size-dependent buckling behavior of the nanotube d...