In this paper we present an experimental setup and an associated mathematical model to study the synchronization of two self sustained strongly coupled mechanical oscillators (metronomes). The effects of a small detuning in the internal parameters, namely damping and frequency, have been studied. Our experimental system is a pair of spring wound mechanical metronomes, coupled by placing them on a common base, free to move along a horizontal direction. In our system the mass of the oscillating pendula form a significant fraction of the total mass of the system, leading to strong coupling of the oscillators. We modified the internal mechanism of the spring-wound clockwork slightly, such that the natural frequency and the internal damping could be independently tuned. Stable synchronized and anti-synchronized states were observed as the difference in the parameters was varied. We designed a photodiode array based non-contact, non-magnetic position detection system driven by a microcontroller to record the instantaneous angular displacement of each oscillator and the small linear displacement of the base coupling the two. Our results indicate that such a system can be made to stabilize in both in-phase anti-phase synchronized state by tuning the parameter mismatch. Results from both numerical simulations and experimental observations are in qualitative agreement and are both reported in the present work.
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