Gadget Freak Case #127: Gadget Keeps Suspension Even

DN Staff

October 26, 2016

1 Min Read
Gadget Freak Case #127: Gadget Keeps Suspension Even

Gadget Freak James Kinney was looking for a way to take the pressure off the back end of a tow truck when it's carrying a heavy load. If you can equalize the pressure of the truck bed so all the weight is not on the back end, there will be less stress to the truck's suspension system. Kinney developed the air suspension system, called the Mechatronic Microcontroller, in his mechatronics' class at Colorado State University. The gadget uses a resistive touchscreen from an electronic Sudoku game to select the ride height of the tow truck's bed to make it level, thus spreading the stress of the towing weight evenly across the truck's suspension.

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Gadget Keeps Suspension Even
 

Amt

Part Description

Allied Part #

3

PIC16f88

383-0496

9

NPN Transistor TO-92

568-0292

4

NPN Transistor TO-3

935-8099

4

NPN Transistor TO-220

935-7007

10

1K O Resistor

648-0149

3

5k Potentiometer

522-0044

9

10M O Resistor

296-6163

5

330OResistor

296-4698

2

5V Regulator

288-0479

10

0.01 uF Capacitor

507-0721

1

7-Segment Display

670-0033

1

20 x 4 Character LCD

355-0019

2

Speaker

623-2146

1

Operational Amplifier

288-0544

 

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