The AEV had a mark error of 12 when running on the track, meaning that it fell short of the intended marking point. To fix this, the team tightened the reflectance sensors with zip-ties. When this was done, the mark error increased, for the AEV only travelled about half the intended distance. This could have been due to a coding mistake so the code was uploaded into the AEV once again. The zip-ties were also loosened a little bit, but remained fastened to the AEV. The AEV was tested once again and still obtained an error of 12 marks. It was suggested that the conversion factor was inaccurate and to change that in the Excel spreadsheet. It was also suggested that the reflectance sensors could use a replacement.
The team could use more guidance on whether or not it would be possible to change out the reflectance sensors. Multiple tests were ran, each with different independent variables, and still a mark error was present each run. The staff did provide helpful suggestions on what to change to reduce the mark error, but some tests produced even larger mark errors and left the team at a standstill.
Power vs. Time
Power vs. Distance
Calculated Forces:
| Energy Analysis | |
| AEV Mass | 251.0gm |
| Motor Speed | 30m/s |
| Friction Force | 597.8gmf |
| Propeller Force | 610.1gmf |
The AEV mass indicated how much the AEV weighed. The motor speed allowed the team to compare the speed of their AEV to others and determine if AEV mass was a factor as to why it wasn’t as fast as it should have been. Friction force and propeller force were calculate from the time it took the AEV to travel a certain distance .These values were used to compare to other AEVs to ensure that there was nothing wrong with the way it was running. Overall, the calculated forces listed above were comparable to those of other AEVs. When zip-ties were used too tightly on the reflectance sensors, the distance was much shorter and affected the speed, friction force, and propeller force values. This was reduced when the zip-ties were loosened slightly and the conversion factor between distance and marks were modified, providing the team with the values listed above.