Hi I've posted here before, I was hoping you guys could give me some help again
Ok well my physics teacher is making all the juniors in my class enter a engineering competition. My partner and I already made our main car but it really sucks. We decided to go with size and power but then I just saw the past years designs (the majority of which are small cars with a slanted front - which means our car will just run over it and come crashing down)
We now need to make our backup car and well we're kinda of stumped out...
I was hoping any of you would have any weird crazy ideas that me and my partner could do??
OK so the rules are as follows:
Label B S P A
CL
Name Bottom Start Line Pass Line Apex
Centerline
Distance from B - 1 ft. 4 ft. 8 ft. 8.5 ft.
THE CHALLENGE:
To design and construct a vehicle that will climb a hill under its own power, knock over its flag (located to the right of the vehicle as it approaches the “top of the hill”), stop at the “top of the hill,” hold its position against an opposing vehicle and be closest to the centerline at the end of the 15 second run.
THE TRACK:
The illustration above shows the approximate dimensions of the hill. The 12" width of the track may vary by ±0.5" as the vehicle travels from the bottom to the apex. The side rails are made from 1-by-3-inch #2 pine. The carpet is a standard, commercial grade. A vehicle is considered to be on "top of the hill" if it is completely between the two pass lines, including any extensions, strings, dropped and/or jettisoned objects. Two flags, each consisting of a 1/2” dowel extending 5 inches above the track bed (see illustration), will be mounted on either side of the track at the centerline of the “top of the hill.” The flag to the right of a vehicle as it approaches the “top of the hill” will pivot only in the direction of the forward motion of that vehicle.
VEHICLE SPECIFICATIONS:
• The complete vehicle must be designed to fit inside a 12-inch cube at the beginning of each run. (A “run” is defined as a single attempt up the hill against another vehicle; a “round” is defined as one or more runs against the same vehicle.) The complete vehicle is defined by all its parts. Appendages, such as a ram, may extend beyond this limit once activated, but cannot be activated before the start of the run.
• The vehicle must include at least three wheels and must roll on its wheels while traversing the track. Sample vehicle
• The vehicle must have an original chassis constructed by the students. Component parts (motors, wheels, gear boxes, etc.) may be "cannibalized" from other sources.
• The weight of the vehicle, including batteries, must not exceed 4 pounds (1.8 kg).
• The vehicle must have a “reference point” for judging its position on the hill. This point must be chosen by the team and marked with a colored, adhesive dot (supplied by the judges). The dot must be placed on the rigid body of the vehicle, not on any extension, jettisoned object, or flexible string or wire. The dot must be visible from above. The position of the dot can be changed from round to round but must remain in the same place during a given round against another vehicle. The dot will be verified by the track judge before each round.
• The vehicle must use a momentary switch of the “normally closed” type to activate the vehicle at the start of each run. An additional toggle switch may also be used in the circuit to turn off the vehicle when not competing. No “hot starts” (running the motor before the start signal) will be allowed. Normally closed switch
POWER:
• Power to propel the vehicle may be derived only from two standard-size 9-volt batteries (e.g., approximately 2" x 1" x 0.7"). Rechargeable batteries meeting these specifications are acceptable. Note: Only 9-volt batteries may be used for propulsion. Combinations of lower-voltage batteries (for example, six 1.5-volt AA batteries) are not acceptable. No additional power sources may be used to propel the vehicle. However, additional power may be derived from other batteries for the purpose of powering any on-board electronics. Only springs, rubber bands or the 9-volt propulsion batteries may be used to power any deployed appendages.
• The vehicle must not use CHEMICALS or DANGEROUS SUBSTANCES. No rocket-type devices, CO 2 propulsion cartridges, or chemical reactions are allowed (fire is considered a chemical reaction).
We get one point for getting on top of the hill, another for knocking off the flag, and a third for being closest to the middle line against an opposing vehicle. Any help would be greatly appreciated
