Engineering summary
Shakebot pairs affordable hardware with ROS/Python control: 50 kg at 1 g, ±140 mm stroke, 5 g peak, 0.08 mm precision. Caltech used it to validate precariously balanced rock simulations.
In short: Shakebot is an affordable open-source shake table built from low-cost, high-precision components and controlled with Python on the Robot Operating System (ROS). The single-axis horizontal table measures 290 × 810 mm, carries 50 kg at 1 g, reaches 2,000 mm/s, strokes ±140 mm, runs to 25 Hz and positions to 0.08 mm. Caltech replayed the same ROS ground motions from simulation in physical precariously balanced rock tests.
Shake tables provide a critical tool for simulating earthquake events and testing the response of structures to seismic forces. However, most existing shake tables are either prohibitively expensive or proprietary, limiting their accessibility for educational and research purposes. To bridge this gap, we present Shakebot, a low-cost, open-source shake table designed specifically for engineering research and education.
Key Features of Shakebot
The Shakebot is built using affordable, high-precision components. This approach not only keeps the cost down but also ensures the reliability and accuracy needed for vibration testing. Here are some of the standout features:
- Open-Source Software with ROS: The shake table runs on the Robot Operating System (ROS), allowing for modular software integration and facilitating easy transition from simulation to physical experiments.
- Accessible and User-Friendly: The Shakebot’s low cost and simple setup make it ideal for students, educators, and researchers, especially in low-resource settings.
Specifications:
- Degree of Freedom: Single
- Movement Degree: Horizontal Table
- Dimensions: 290 x 810 mm (excluding control box)
- Payload: 50 kg @ 1 g
- Velocity: 2,000 mm/s
- Stroke: +/-140 mm (380 mm)
- Max. Operating Frequency @ 1kg 10mm: 25 Hz
- Position Precision: 0.08 mm
- Max. acceleration at 5 kg and 2,000 mm/s: 5 g
- Software: Python (supported by Robot Operating System)
Seeing is Believing
Watch the demonstration video of shakebot by clicking the link below:
Application in Precariously Balanced Rocks (PBR) Research
One of the most exciting applications of the Shakebot is in the study of Precariously Balanced Rocks (PBRs) by CALTECH. PBRs serve as natural markers that indicate the absence of significant seismic activity in an area. With the Shakebot, the researchers validated the simulations through physical testing.
By reusing the control programs developed in ROS, the CALTECH researches ensured that the ground motions used in simulations are identical to those applied in the physical experiments. This consistency was vital for validating the accuracy of the simulation and ensuring reliable results in both virtual and real-world settings.
Why Choose Shakebot?
- Affordable: Built using readily available components, Shakebot offers a high-performance solution at a fraction of the cost of traditional shake tables.
- Open-Source: With ROS-based software, Shakebot allows for extensive customization, making it suitable for a wide range of seismic research applications.
- Versatile: Whether you are testing small-scale structures or conducting PBR studies, Shakebot is a highly flexible tool for both education and research.
QuakeLogic Is Proud to Offer Shakebot
At QuakeLogic, we are committed to providing innovative seismic monitoring and testing solutions. Shakebot is a proud addition to our product lineup, designed to meet the needs of researchers, educators, and engineers seeking an affordable yet high-precision shake table.
About QuakeLogic
QuakeLogic is a leading provider of advanced seismic monitoring solutions, offering a range of products and services designed to enhance the accuracy and efficiency of testing, data acquisition, and analysis.
Contact Information:
- Email: sales@quakelogic.net
- Phone: +1-916-899-0391
- WhatsApp: +1-650-353-8627
- Website: www.quakelogic.net
For more information about our products and services, please visit our website or contact our sales team. We are here to help you with all your testing and monitoring needs.
With Shakebot, QuakeLogic continues its mission to democratize earthquake engineering tools, ensuring that vital seismic research and education are accessible to everyone.
Key Takeaways
- Single-DOF horizontal table, 290 × 810 mm excluding the control box, payload 50 kg at 1 g.
- Velocity 2,000 mm/s, stroke ±140 mm (380 mm total), 0.08 mm position precision.
- Max operating frequency 25 Hz at 1 kg and 10 mm; peak 5 g acceleration at 5 kg and 2,000 mm/s.
- Runs on ROS with Python, so simulation control programs transfer directly to physical tests.
- Caltech applied Shakebot to precariously balanced rock research to validate simulations against physical shaking.
Frequently Asked Questions
Shakebot is a single-degree-of-freedom horizontal table measuring 290 × 810 mm excluding its control box. It carries 50 kg at 1 g, reaches 2,000 mm/s velocity, provides ±140 mm stroke (380 mm total), operates up to 25 Hz with a 1 kg payload at 10 mm amplitude, positions to 0.08 mm, and peaks at 5 g with 5 kg at 2,000 mm/s. Control software is Python running on the Robot Operating System.
ROS gives Shakebot a modular, open-source software stack, so researchers can integrate their own controllers, sensors and logging without proprietary tools. Its main advantage is continuity between simulation and experiment: the same ROS control programs that drive a simulated table can drive the physical one, guaranteeing that the ground motion applied in the lab is identical to the one used in simulation. That makes validation studies direct and repeatable.
Caltech researchers used Shakebot to study precariously balanced rocks (PBRs), natural formations whose survival indicates that strong shaking has not occurred at a site over long periods. They first modeled PBR toppling in simulation, then reused the same ROS control programs to apply identical ground motions to physical models on Shakebot. Matching the simulated and physical results validated the simulation approach for interpreting PBRs as seismic-hazard constraints.
Most shake tables are expensive, proprietary systems with closed controllers, which limits access for teaching and small research groups. Shakebot is built from readily available, high-precision components, keeping cost to a fraction of a conventional table, and its ROS-based software is open source and fully customizable. It trades large payload and multi-axis capability for affordability, simple setup and transparency, which suits education, low-resource labs and small-scale structural or PBR experiments.
Shakebot carries up to 50 kg at 1 g, which covers most small-scale model structures and rock specimens. With a lighter 5 kg payload and the full 2,000 mm/s velocity it reaches 5 g peak acceleration. Maximum operating frequency is 25 Hz measured with 1 kg at 10 mm amplitude, and the ±140 mm stroke allows long-period motions to be reproduced within the table's travel.
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Need help with a project? QuakeLogic designs and supplies seismic monitoring, earthquake early warning, structural health monitoring, infrasound, and shake table systems. Browse QuakeLogic products or contact our engineering team with your site, structure, or test requirements.
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Topic cluster
Related engineering knowledge areas
- Earthquake EngineeringSeismic hazard, ground motion, structural response, fragility, and resilience guidance.
- Structural Health MonitoringMonitoring for bridges, buildings, dams, tunnels, industrial facilities, and resilient infrastructure.
- Earthquake Early WarningOn-site detection, alerting workflows, seismic switches, and critical infrastructure warning systems.
- Infrasound MonitoringLow-frequency acoustic sensing for environmental noise, blast, UAV, volcano, and defense applications.
Definitions and references
Terms, standards, and source cues
- seismic hazard: related to Earthquake Engineering in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- ground motion: related to Earthquake Engineering in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- SHM: related to Structural Health Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- damage detection: related to Structural Health Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- earthquake early warning: related to Earthquake Early Warning in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- seismic switch: related to Earthquake Early Warning in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- infrasound sensors: related to Infrasound Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
- low-frequency noise: related to Infrasound Monitoring in this QuakeLogic knowledge cluster.
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