ESTEEMStream.News

ESTEEM Center for Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, English & Math

ESTEEMStream.News

ESTEEMStream.News

#Solar Go-Kart Day 4: Evaluate Your Solution

Students+brought+their+solar-powered+go-karts+to+a+track+in+Tucson+to+do+practce+runs+and+safety+checks+to+prepare+for+the+race+in+late+April.++%28Photo+by+Erica+Apodaca%2FCronkite+News%29
Students brought their solar-powered go-karts to a track in Tucson to do practce runs and safety checks to prepare for the race in late April. (Photo by Erica Apodaca/Cronkite News)

So Far So Good. We decided to use the fuel affectient approach and changing the way we used the motors to connect with the battery. We decided that we could start the solar panel to work while running the battery at low so it does not explode in our faces when we start the car. We need to change the power input to a lower standard so it can work while we drive the car giving us some extra time. We planned on taking the pedals out and using a hand speed controller so it is much more responsive than using an old-fashioned pedal since it has to get though the receptors to stop the wheels or for the throttle in which it takes sometime to slow the charge that is being released from the battery. When you use a hand speed controller it gives an advantage to go back or go front in with case it is very necessary. We also plan on using the Vex robot brain so we can control the car without actually being in it so we can test drive it incase it “doesn’t go right”. We also thought that if we give the Vex brain more control so if we see one of us in danger we can control the car to stop and do what we want it to do. We figured if remote to hook it up to the motors of the car so we can remotely control the speed and see it as an emergency break. Then we can have someone standing behind and control it. The max radius the Vex remote can span is about 50 feet radius. Finally figuring that out if we had extra money we would also buy an extra battery just incase we needed it when we stop ran out of battery 1 on a road or some other place.

More to Discover
Activate Search
ESTEEM Center for Equity in Science, Technology, Engineering, English & Math
#Solar Go-Kart Day 4: Evaluate Your Solution