Analysis
The analysis for steering and drivetrain will draw from knowledge about basic electronics, motor output, gear trains, steering, and turn radius to get a baseline understanding of what to expect from various drivetrain and steering components. This should help the student make decisions on what components are more desirable than others and create an early outline of what the vehicle capabilities are.
Requirements
The requirements of the Baja vehicle are:
The Baja Car must be able to reach a minimum top speed of 15mph.
The overall turn radius must not exceed 5 feet.
The RC vehicle must run on a single motor.
The RV vehicle must only use a single propulsion battery-pack.
The battery used must last 20 minutes before needing to be replaced/recharged while maintaining full motor RPM.
The differential must be able to withstand accelerating to top speed (assumed 15mph) in 5 seconds.
Motor must output a minimum of 400W and generate at least 1lb*in of torque.
Minimum gear ratio is recommended to be 8:1.
The drive shaft must have a minimum factor of safety of 5.
The RC car must be able to drive up a 5ft tall, 30 degree incline ramp.
Engineering Merit
The student will use their knowledge of robotics to program a controller, Basic Electronics to wire various equipment, knowledge of gear trains and mechanical design to create an axil and differential, Statics to understand the output power needed to propel the vehicle, and Mechanics of Materials to ensure materials used will not break under various stresses and strains the vehicle may encounter.
