Mixed Ethnic Group
MICHAELA
ABOUT SKETCH MODEL CHALLENGE
The goal of this project was to construct a vehicle using only paper-products and foam core boards. The vehicle would have a rider and a driver, and must be able to support the heaviest team member while the riders were playing a 45-minute dodgeball game. At the conclusion of the dodgeball game, a race must also be completed. The objective of this project was to get comfortable with the start to finish the design-build process, learn to work in the semester teams and have fun doing it. Design decisions were made based on considering the project goals in a Pugh chart and further validated using data from experiments, such as four-point bending and compression tests.
ABOUT MICHAELA
This vehicle had to fulfill the following functional requirements:
Hold 200 lbs. rider for a minimum of 45 minutes
Weigh under 15 lbs
Prevent rider from making contact with the ground
Can be driven by one person at 4 miles per hour
Allow the rider the freedom to lean and pick up balls from the ground while seated
RACE DAY
Results
The weight of the final vehicle was 8.93 lbs, making it the lightest vehicle for both lab sections and placing it at the closest starting position. The vehicle held every team member, one at a time, during the 45-minute dodgeball game. Three members made contact with the ground in the duration. Turning the vehicle during the dodgeball game was quite difficult with a turning radius of 5 meters. In the race that followed the dodgeball game, the vehicle was placed at a three-way tie for first place.