Performance Test 3
The focus for this week was coding the AEV to bring back the caboose while considering energy efficiency. The completion of these tasks were crucial to the progress of the project as programming the AEV to traverse back to the gate after picking up the caboose unit assists in the completion of the part of the mission which is enabling the AEV to successfully navigate the track. Maximizing the efficiency of the AEV with the caboose in tow will assist in completion of another part of the mission statement by minimizing energy output of the AEV while it is completing its run.
To accomplish these tasks of picking up the caboose and returning to the gate as well as maximizing the AEV’s efficiency during this time the group first had to add onto their original code. This entailed programming the AEV to travel from the gate once it had opened to the caboose, pick up the caboose, and reverse direction to return to the gate. The key takeaway from this lab was that progression is not always forward. Steps backwards are taken sometimes in order to move forward.
Table 7: Week 10 schedule
| Task | Teammates | Start Date | Due Date | Time Needed |
| Test New Design | All | 4/3/17 | 4/6/17 | 30 min |
| Lab 10 Progress Report | All | 4/3/17 | 4/10/17 | 4hrs |
| Improve AEV Return Code | All | 4/3/17 | 4/17/17 | 45 min |
| Add Battery Mount | All | 4/3/17 | 4/6/17 | 20 min |
(Graphs of supplied power over time that assisted the group with their determination to use larger propellers in lab 10)