Fun with Convolution and Linear Time-Invariant Systems

This paper describes an out-of-class experiment and a subsequent lab exercise for the junior-level Electrical Engineering course commonly titled as "Signals and Systems."The main objective of these activities is to capture the imagination of the students and let them have fun with the sometimes-tedious concepts of convolution and linear time-invariant systems.The basic concept is for the students first to record the acoustic "impulse response" of a building on campus.Next, they return to the lab and play their own voices through the mathematical model of the building (i.e., the "impulse response") in order to mimic the effect of speaking inside the building.To enhance the experience, the building is chosen to be the Allen Fieldhouse at the University of Kansas, which is the tradition-filled building on campus where basketball games are played.Because the signals and systems are chosen from their everyday experience, and because of the simple effectiveness of the experiment, the students are able to appreciate the challenging concepts of the course in a novel and meaningful way.