Elastic Vehicle

thingiverse

3D printed parts to expand the capability of the TeacherGeek product line. TeacherGeek is an amazing set of components that enable kids (and adults) to very easily build engineering projects without the use of major tools. It's essentially a cross between an Erector Set and Lego Technics. Supplementing this system with precision components such as bearings, improved axles, better wheels, etc. greatly opens up the possibilities. The set of stl files for this project use the TeacherGeek platform and cross braces, combines with 1/4" ID, 5/8" OD, flanged bearings (https://www.qualitybearingsbeltsandchain.com/fr4-zz-flanged-shielded-bearing-10-pack/), 1/4" axles (one threaded rod, one aluminum), a preferred set of wheels (I used Actobatix wheels from ServoCity.com), and a carbon fiber rod (from a kite manufacturer) to make an elastic powered vehicle. One can make this go for maximum distance or use the optional breaking axle to set the distance traveled using a wingnut. While the photo is an example of the vehicle that I built, this is meant to be open-ended. Since everything is modular, students can bolt components on to the TeacherGeek system in any way they find suitable, allowing room to optimize for a given goal. All components are bolted together using 3 mm x 14 mm screws.