Performance Test 2 added on to Performance test 1 by once it had passed through the open gate it now had to travel and connect to the caboose, wait 5 seconds, and then travel out of the station. This performance test added some difficulties with adjusting the code for to make sure the AEV wasn’t travelling to fast when it made contact with the caboose. This performance test was completed relatively quickly and the group used the extra time to experiment with a different approach to the program. This time we would test if running the motors at a very high speed for a short time would be more efficient then the current system of low speed with a longer run time. Each used the AEV’s momentum to travel without the motors running to conserve power and relied on friction to brake. The new high power method used a lot of energy to spin the motors but since they did for such a short time the AEV actually used less power.
Power vs Time (click to enlarge)
Power vs Distance (click to enlarge)
The total power used by the high power method was 96.2 Joules and the low power method used 142.96 Joules. While it was much more efficient it was also much more inconsistent then the slower method. These results would be utilized for final testing to create the best program for the final run.