Project · draft
Laser-Cut Truss Bridge with Tilt and Vibration Sensing
- intermediate
- 6-8 hours
SDG 9 · Industry, Innovation and Infrastructure
A hands-on model of structural health monitoring, the kind of sensing that helps keep bridges and other infrastructure resilient (target 9.1).
Safety notes
- Load tests: wear eye protection, hang weights in a tray kept low over the bench, and keep feet clear; MDF snaps suddenly.
Draft and unofficial, not affiliated with Fab Academy or the United Nations. Check prices, GST and parts before you buy.
Summary
Cut a 40-50 cm MDF truss bridge, mount an accelerometer at mid-span and stream tilt and vibration to a laptop plot. Add load step by step and watch stiffness and frequency change before failure.
What it teaches
Design a parametric press-fit truss (kerf compensation, joint design), load-test it, and read an MPU-6050 to measure deflection angle and natural frequency (FFT of a tap test). Compare designs by stiffness per gram.
Topics it touches, in Fab Academy-style terms:
- Computer-aided design
- Computer-controlled cutting
- Input devices
- Embedded programming
- Interface and application programming
Parts list
Parts cost
Some parts are not priced yet, so there's no total.
2 required parts are marked not priced yet below. Where a price is known it is shown per part, GST-inclusive as the seller listed it on 24 Oct 2026, with the GST rate unverified. Shipping is not included.
| Part | Qty | Unit | Price, GST-incl. as listed | Line cost | GST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Seeed Studio XIAO ESP32C3 Wi-Fi & BLE Development Boardxiao-esp32c3 | 1 | pcs | ₹734 | ₹734 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| MPU-6050 accelerometer/gyroscope module (GY-521)mpu6050-gy521 | 1 | pcs | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| 0.96 Inch OLED Display Module SPI/I2C 4pin Blue Coloroled-096-i2cI2C 0x3C | 1 | pcs | ₹167 | ₹167 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| MDF or plywood sheet, 3 mm (laser-cut parts)mdf-3mm-sheetBridge plus test spares; Fab Lab stock | 2 | sheet | not priced yet | not priced yet | GST unverified | no seller yet |
| 40x1 Pin 2.54mm Pitch Male Berg Stripheader-male-40x1 | 1 | pcs | ₹8 | ₹8 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| 170 Points Mini Breadboardbreadboard-mini-170 | 1 | pcs | ₹18 | ₹18 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Male to Female Jumper Wires (20cm) (20pcs)jumpers-f2m-20cm-20Pack: pack of 20 male-female 20cm | 1 | set | ₹28 | ₹28 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Part | Qty | Unit | Price, GST-incl. as listed | Line cost | GST | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Type C USB Cable (1 metre)cable-usb-c-1mSkip if you already have a data-capable USB-C cable | 1 | pcs | ₹65 | ₹65 | GST unverified, typically 18% | Robocrazeread 24 Oct 2026 |
| Optional extras total, GST-inclusive as listed by the seller | ₹65 | |||||
The Part column links to the shared catalogue. Units are pcs, m, g, sheet or set, and a "set" is the seller's pack, as noted per part.
Tools you will need
- Laser cutter
- CAD (Fusion/FreeCAD/Onshape)
- Weights and a hanging tray
- Laptop with Arduino IDE or MicroPython; Python for plotting
Build notes
Step-by-step build notes have not been written yet for this draft. The summary, the topics above and the parts list are what exists so far.
How to buy
There is no online checkout. To buy or import these parts, email info@curiosta.com and say what you need. The button opens your own email app with a draft; nothing is sent until you send it.
Prices on this site are third-party seller listings, not a Curiosta quote. Ask by email for availability, price and GST.