Crumple Zone Crash Test Car

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This 12-gram CO2-powered crash test car lets you design and iterate crumple zone bumpers to protect a passenger egg from injury. Use a CO2 car launcher like Pitsco's EZ Start Gate or Kelvin's Dragster Launcher, wheels from a Lego Technic motorcycle (you can find them on eBay), and create a flat wall for the car to crash into (I placed a board against paint cans). The car is guided by monofilament, and I set the wood wall at 50 feet from the launcher. At that distance, a 12-gram CO2 cartridge will shoot the car fast enough to break an egg without a well-designed crumple zone. Use a slo-motion camera app to capture and analyze the destruction. It's crucial not to change the bumper posts; instead, add elements that bend and break in front of them. If you use Tinkercad, search for "Bumper Posts" and copy the design, keeping the posts part locked and in place. The posts fit snugly into the car chassis. To enhance the performance, print the axles with brim/build plate adhesion, then use an exacto to make them rounder where they touch the car body and fit the ends into the wheels tightly. Also, shave the CO2 cartridge opening slightly since the material spreads slightly in the first layer or two. Printing without support is unnecessary. This lesson plan was submitted to the Create to Educate lesson plan contest with MatterHackers, sponsored by Ultimaker.