2012

University of Bolton RAK Amir Hossein

[DESIGN CHALLENGE TEAM - AGA]

We had been assigned the task of making a vehicle for this competition. The vehicle must move about two meters forward from the datum point. It then has to hit the wall and return to the point it had started from.

Introduction:

We had been assigned the task of making a vehicle for this competition. The vehicle must move about two meters forward from the datum point. It then has to hit the wall and return to the point it had started from. The distance from the front point to the datum is denoted by D. The aim is zero distance. A remote controller or any other type of interference has been prohibited. Any mechanical or electrical mechanism may be used within a limited budget. Our team consists of three members and each one of us has contributed significantly to the completion of this project.

The Report:

In order to begin this project we had to first conduct a meeting to discuss the facts of the car and the rules of the project in detail. After the meeting we jotted down all the details in the work plan. The work plan mentions the main aim of the car which is the mechanism/design of the car. This was followed by a long discussion with our tutors regarding the required materials. We tested the materials in order to ensure a proper and smooth working of the project. We then got our idea approved by our tutors and finally purchased the materials. The materials purchased for this project have been listed below:

Materials:

A toy car

Two motors

Battery holders

Electric switch

One micro switch

Tools: Screwdrivers Electric tape Plier Cotton string Super glue

DESIGN Design implies the mechanism which made this task possible. The vehicle has two motors on the front as well as the back. Some gears are used to transmit the power from the motor to the shafts. Both motors have been wired to the power source and switches.

DISCUSSION First of all, we fixed the motors on the chassis. In order to do so, we had to cut some of the surfaces. We then glued the surfaces to the legs in order to fix the front shafts. Having done this, we fixed a four battery holder in the middle of the chassis to make it heavier at that point. We also fixed the main (OFF/ON) switch in the same place. We fixed the other switch by screwing it in front of the vehicle and then connecting a small rod in order to touch the wall and change the direction of the current flow in the system. At this stage we tested the vehicle to ensure the workings were proper. The next required step was to return the vehicle to the datum point. We chose to use a tape with pulley or a cotton string in order to stop the vehicle at the exact point. At first we used a thick cotton string and used the trims of the vehicle instead of the pulleys. We came across some difficulties while trying to work with this as we had to fix the second motor in order to rewind the string. This time the trims could not hold the string in the middle as the speed of the two motors was not equal. The string was loosening. Therefore, we thought that the problem could be resolved by changing the cotton

string to the finishing line but this resulted in the same way. So, it failed to work out. We finally decided to use a very thin cotton string on the shafts instead of the trims and this worked in our favor.

RECOMMENDATION Although the string is obstructing the movement of the motors, it does not have to be switched off. A leaf switch is recommended as it could disconnect the power from the motors when the string reaches till the end. We could not use a leaf switch in this particular project due to its unavailability in RAK.

CONCLUSION

I have come to the conclusion that working as a team makes the work a lot simpler. It is much more enriching to work as a team than to work individually. The contribution of ideas, knowledge and thoughts made by each member made the working extremely simple throughout the completion of this project. It has been an enjoyable experience to apply our theoretical knowledge practically and it has also strengthened our learning ability.