The purpose of the first lab was to employ different brainstorming techniques as a team and discuss the different qualities of the AEV that were crucial in optimizing its energy usage. Immediately, it was apparent that these crucial factors were weight and aerodynamics. This was concluded based on the assumption that the design that is the most light-weight would require the least amount of power from the motors, and an aerodynamic design would allow the vehicle to move with better fluidity and stability.
The team also determined which materials were going to be used for the design during this lab. The mandatory components of the vehicle were the battery, the Arduino Control Board, two wheels, the “L”-shaped, two motor and two propellers. From here, each team member created an individual design with these components in mind. After the individual designs were created the group came together to discuss each design and create a initial team design for the first round of testing.
The information that was added to each of the designs were the weight of the combined materials, the width, depth, and height of the device, and the relative cost of the design. The cost was an estimate for each sketch as the cost of the most expensive piece — the battery — is unknown.
The images above are the original drafts of each members’ design with the different characteristics of each design such as cost, weight, and general dimensions.
Executive Summary: