The Microacoustic Sensors Laboratory (the Lab) shares a 1400 square foot space with the Vibrations Research Laboratory in the Engineering Building in an efficient floor plan. The Lab infrastructure includes electrical hookups from 120V to 440V, compressed air, water, and forced-air ventilation. The Lab contains a variety of instruments for measuring and predicting the vibration of structures and systems. In addition to computational capabilities the laboratory contains state of the art instrumentation for measuring vibration and sound. This includes accelerometers, a photonic sensor, three laser vibrometers and a sound isolation chamber, which is housed in a separate, adjacent room to the Lab.
The Lab also contains an assortment of computers ranging from personal computers to workstations that permit the development of sophisticated analytical models of vibrating systems along with the acquisition and analysis of measured vibration data. A separate room (500 sq.ft.) attached to the Microacoustic Sensors and Vibrations Laboratories houses a 1250 lb LDS shaker/slip table, amplifier and controller, a Cincinnati Sub-Zero Environmental Chamber with shaker interface. A well-equipped machine shop (2576 sq.ft.) and numerous other research laboratories are also located in the Engineering Building.
Measurement/Testing Capabilities:
The Lab’s test/measurement capabilities are aimed at vibration and acoustic measurement of mechanical and bio-mechanical systems. In particular the very small eardrum of the fly, Ormia ochracea is the biological inspiration for this work. The Lab's measurement capabilities are enhanced by our state-of-the-art non-contacting laser measurement systems. The Lab’s three laser vibrometers can be used for precise, focused (10 micron measurement point) vibration measurements. In addition, traditional transducers (accelerometers, LVDTs, strain gages) are also available.
Major Measurement/Test Equipment:
Additional Measurement/Test Equipment:
The Cornell NanoScale Science & Technology Facility (CNF) is a national user facility that supports a broad range of nanoscale science and technology projects by providing state-of-the-art resources coupled with expert staff support. 2007 marks our 30th year in operation. Research at CNF encompasses physical sciences, engineering, and life sciences, and has a strong inter-disciplinary emphasis. Over 700 users per year (50% of whom come from outside Cornell) use the fabrication, synthesis, computation, characterization, and integration resources of CNF to build structures, devices, and systems from atomic to complex length-scales. (www.cnf.cornell.edu)
The Nanobiotechnology Center (NBTC), a National Science Foundation, Science and Technology Center is characterized by its highly interdisciplinary nature and features a close collaboration between life scientists, physical scientists, and engineers. We also share a commitment to education and outreach, taking the discoveries from the laboratory and realizing their potential benefit to society. (www.nbtc.cornell.edu)
By the end of 2010, the construction of a new $66M Science and Engineering Building on the east campus will be complete. The building, which will house laboratories and office space for the Departments of Mechanical Engineering, Electrical and Computer Engineering and the Watson School Dean’s Office, will be the new home of the Microacoustic Sensors Laboratory and will also include a clean room and Acoustics Core Lab with an anechoic chamber.
Last Updated: 8/25/10
