Belt Driven Model Vehicle

Our first design consisted of the Tamiya chassis kit with an added tilt switch. When constructing the chassis kit, we discussed the position of the center of gravity and whether we wanted the motor of our car to be in a position for normal or faster speed control. After realizing that lower speed meant high torque, we decided to use the normal speed since torque was the more important factor in getting up a hill. Our center of gravity became lower with positioning most of our weight, which came from the batteries, closer to the ground. With this design in mind, we would prevent our car from tipping over when moving up the inclined plane.

In our second design, we took a closer look into the smaller details of what would help our car beat our components. We flipped the car around to give us space to add modifications to the top. This raised the center of gravity, which was something we were initially concerned about. However, after testing, we realized it was not nearly enough to cause the vehicle to tip backwards when at an angle greater than thirty degrees. We also thought more about what was going to create more traction between the wheels of our vehicle and the bathtub-like material of the ramp. We added sandpaper on the tracks for more friction and grip thinking this would help our car clear the inclination. 

Our third and final design was developed through the results of our testing and modifications. We kept the orientation from the second iteration, which allowed for more surface area of the tracks to be in contact with the ramp at a single given time, increasing the traction. We removed the cardboard defense and its supports in favor of weight saving. We also ended up removing the sandpaper from the tracks because of the various problems it caused, including squeezing the tracks and causing height differences.