Lab Description:
This lab consisted of brainstorming any and all different modes of transportation that would successfully fulfill the requirements of the overall mission. Moreover, these new designs were also encouraged to take into account user comfort and satisfaction, energy consumption, and energy availability. One design per the national park’s had to be a monorail design.
Three different designs; a monorail design named the X-rail, a multi-rail design named the Quad-rail, and a helicopter design named the Tri-copter; were all though up and sketched. Within the memo each of these designs were presented in an orthogonal sketch of the design, a description of how each will run, and a list of pros and cons.
The vehicles were then rated on a scale of 1-5 in the three categories of user comfort and satisfaction, energy consumption, and energy availability with the the X-rail having the highest average score.
The orthogonal designs can be seen below.
X-rail design
Tri-copter design
Quad-rail design
Lab Take Aways:
The lab gave the necessary experience to know how to design something that will later be actually made and what considerations should be taken into account to make sure that it is a good initial design that can be reworked. This lab also gave the initial design of the AEV, the X-rail. Lastly, it was learned that no design is going to be perfect and the one that is kept on the first design; everything has to under go modifications in order to be the best design.
Lab Schedule:
- January 8, 2020: Begin brainstorming and designing vehicles
- January 15, 2020: Have orthogonal designs done and ready to present
- January 15, 2020: Begin writing memo in order to have it done by 22nd
Meeting Notes:
- Lab Responsibilities
- Descriptions; pros, cons list, and design consideration list; and motivations for their individual design, as well as, design sketch and insertion of designs into the documentation will be done individually.
- Jason Kibler II will write the conclusion
- Nate Johnson will write the introduction
- Heath Myers will write the results/discussion section
- Discussion of Designs
- The X-rail would be very comfortable sit in but would have some view obstruction. Would also be energy efficient because it can use its momentum to travel, and has a massive amounts of batteries in order to ensure that it never gets stuck
- The Tri-copter would not be very pleasant to travel in because of the noise form the blades. It would also consume large amounts of energy to stay in the air; however, the solar panels will make it so that it is environmentally friendly and more aerodynamic.
- The Quad-rail only provides standing room while also having massive view obstruction due to the amount of rails. Moreover, it is also extremely heavy and will require a lot of power to get it moving in all directions as designed.
You can view the whole lab here: AEV Lab 1