For the third performance test, the team came together to discuss what the objectives for this test were as well as dividing those tasks between team members. With energy optimization as the main objective, the team documented how this would be achieved in Lab10TRR.
The purpose of the third performance test was to improve the efficiency of the AEV through adjustments to the design of the AEV as well as the Arduino code. The adjustments that were made to the vehicle included the removal of two of the screws that held the battery to the platform. The screws were removed from each side of the battery to insure that the balance of the vehicle remain. The reduced weight of the AEV from this adjustment improved the efficiency of the device along the monorail track.
The second adjustment that was made to increase efficiency dealt with the Arduino code. For previous test runs, the device was using the revers function to stop the AEV at both the gate and the caboose pickup location. As the team deleted the “reverse” command form the code, the energy usage decreased dramatically. The code now served to have the AEV coast along the track rather than brake at each stopping point. In order to reach an accurate and successful test run each time, the team had to fines the number of marks that the AEV traveled before cutting the power to the motors. The energy analysis and Arduino programming can be found in the memo created for this lab.