UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH

MECHATRONICS 424

DESIGN AND PLAN AN EXPERIMENT

Individual assignment
ECSA outcome. Investigations, experiments and data analysis: Demonstrate competence to
design investigations and experiments.

The purpose of this assignment is to asses your ability to design and plan an experiment. We have
covered the theoretical aspects of sensors and measurements in class. You must now show that you
can apply that knowledge by planning and designing an experiment of your own choice.
Your task is as follows:
- Choose any experiment of a mechanical / mechatronic nature that you would like to conduct
(the topic and purpose of your experiment is thus only bounded by your own creativity, but
it may be very simple. You can for instance also use your skripsie project).
- Write a 4-5 page report in which you:
o Describe your experiment
o Show details of your experimental design
o Show detailed plans of how you want to conduct your experiment
o Show detailed plans of how you will record and process the data
You must describe the hardware you aim to use, how you aim to take measurements and how you
plan to process your measurements to make an informed decision regarding the outcome of your
experiment. Pay special attention to the various errors that can be made during experiments, which
variables you aim to change during the experiment and which other variables can influence your
results. Please use diagrams, sketches, formulas, flowcharts etc. to make your report easily
understandable. Please note that you do not need to conduct the experiment, you only need to
report on the planning and designing of the experiment.
Hand in date: Consult the study guide.
Please use the following page as the VERY FIRST PAGE of your report. The SECOND PAGE must
be the plagiarism declaration. Please sign the declaration.

UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH
MECHATRONICS 424
Experiment design report

Your reports must be typed but you may use scanned freehand sketches. The body of the report may
not exceed five pages. Important: You must achieve a mark of at least 50% in order to pass
Mechatronics 424.
Name:

____________________________

Student number:

____________________________

Marking schedule
Item

Total

Objective and motivation of experiment

[5]

Description of experiment

[5]

Experiment design

[10]

Hardware configuration

[10]

Proposed data analysis

[5]

Professionality of report

-20 to 0
Total

ECSA outcome. Investigations, experiments

and data analysis: Demonstrate competence to
design investigations and experiments.

[35]
Pass/Fail

Achieved

UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH
MECHATRONICS 424
Declaration
I know that plagiarism is wrong.
Plagiarism is to use another's work (even if it is summarised, translated or
rephrased) and pretend that it is one's own.
This assignment is my own work.
Each contribution to and quotation (e.g. "cut and paste") in this assignment
from the work(s) of other people has been explicitly attributed, and has been
cited and referenced. In addition to being explicitly attributed, all quotations
are enclosed in inverted commas, and long quotations are additionally in
indented paragraphs.
I have not allowed, and will not allow, anyone to use my work (in paper,
graphics, electronic, verbal or any other format) with the intention of passing it
off as his/her own work.
I know that a mark of zero may be awarded to assignments with plagiarism
and also that no opportunity be given to submit an improved assignment.
I know that students involved in plagiarism will be reported to the Registrar
and/or the Central Disciplinary Committee.
Name: ..................................................
Student no: ..................................................
Signature: ..................................................
Date: ..................................................