Electric Car Design Challenge

thingiverse

The motor clip was heavily modified from someone else's original design that featured just a simple hole for screwing it in; I added the base so it could be glued together and made it slightly smaller to fit my motors more snugly. Unfortunately, I couldn't track down the original creator! If you think you know whose work was remixed, please let me know and I'll give credit where credit is due. This project was designed for the summer camp engineering challenge for 5th-7th graders, which had a space theme. The activity involved designing a "rover" that would be tested on different surfaces and with various loads. The day's focus was on the engineering process, so the students got a lesson in how to approach it. We then explored how circuits work (they already had some background knowledge) and practiced using Snap Circuits before tackling the challenge of creating their own rover using any of the given parts within specific limits. I purchased motors and battery packs with attached lead wires, making it easy for them to simply twist the wires together and secure them with electrical tape; soldering was an option for a more advanced class. Initially, I considered adding mini solar panels but ultimately decided against it due to time and budget constraints. Instead, we discussed how reusable batteries could be used in conjunction with solar panels to charge them. The project took around 3 hours over two days, longer than expected, but the students were fully engaged the entire time and did an excellent job troubleshooting and reworking their designs. Before starting, I created a model which I showed them first and discussed some key considerations while designing and creating their rover: - Test parts in a specific spot before marking and gluing them on. - Handle lead wire attachments with care. - Think about the weight of the car and its load. - Consider the direction your motor is rotating. - Think about where and how the force of the motor is being applied. - Ensure that the battery pack is attached with an accessible switch, and make sure the top can be opened to replace batteries; place the top up and switch down, hanging off an edge for easy access. Each student engineered their own rover, so I made sure to have enough materials on hand for them to choose from. The material options included: - 3D Printed parts: Large Pulley (max 1 per student), Small Pulley (max 1 per student), Motor Pulley (max 1 per student), Large Wheels (max 2 per student), Small Wheels (max 4 per student), Motor Clip (max 1 per student) - Other supplies: dc 130 motor (purchased from Amazon with lead wires attached), Battery pack with switch (purchased from Amazon with lead wires attached), 2mm x 150mm axles (purchased from Amazon), Electrical Tape, Straws, Cardboard, Masking Tape, Super Glue, Popsicle Sticks of various sizes, Various size rubber bands, Balloons (used for decoration and play initially but ultimately removed), Old CDs (could be glued to wheels to create larger wheels) Their designs ended up mirroring my model quite closely. If I had more time or older students for the project, I wouldn't have made a model; instead, they would've been encouraged to try their own unique designs first. Another adaptation could be printing smaller wheels and having them adapt them using cardboard, CDs, etc. to create the size of their choice.