Multiple Methods of Data Acquisition for a LEGO NXT 2 Mobile Robot: The use of a Second NXT 2 Hardware Platform

Mechatronics is a multidisciplinary and application oriented science and a methodology used to achieve an optimal design of an electromechanical product. Education in mechatronics at the Politehnica University Timisoara is organized on three levels: bachelor, master and PhD studies. These activities refer to: mechatronic components, computer interfacing electronics, systems (modelling, analysis, simulation, and control). The project discussed in the paper is a Mechatronic Demonstrator using the LEGO NXT-2 Platform. This demonstrator, named humanoid robot, is built at a low price and is suitable for studying the key elements of mechatronic systems: mechanical system dynamics, sensors, computer interfacing, and application development. This paper describes how the demonstrator has been used to validate the methods for data acquisition under experimental conditions. The article aims to describe the demonstrator construction (1), (2) to present the methods for data acquisition (method using two NXT platforms, method using a NXT platforms and oscilloscope, method using Matlab-Simulink) and to formulate conclusions (3).