Alex’s Sketch:
The design includes the wheels at the top and the blades in the back on the opposite side of the wings. The slanted sides reduces drag. The wires and battery are located in the back so there is no interference with the propellers. The arm is centered so it is balanced and aesthetically pleasing. Although, the box-like exterior is not aerodynamic, and the bulky sides increase weight. The position of the wings boxing off the base would similarly decrease wind resistance.
McKenna’s Sketch:
The sketch is curved in the front and the back to make it more aerodynamic. Also, it has the battery, motors, and control system under the basic design to keep the outside surfaces smooth. Additionally, the wheels are centered to ensure the AEV is balanced and will run on an even plane. The curved front and back end would prove beneficial in aerodynamics for when the AEV travels forward, as well as backwards. The entirely closed in design would increase weight, as well as the chosen wheel mount.
Mitchell’s Sketch:
The design is simple and small, therefore making the AEV more aerodynamic by allowing the vehicle to be carried further with the same amount of power as a heavier design. Also, the wheels are centered on the design, helping to ensure that the front and back are supported evenly, allowing for a better efficiency. More so, the back of the cart is the largest portion, and would make traveling backwards difficult.
Nolan’s Sketch:
The design incorporates curved surfaces in order to make it most aerodynamic, reducing the drag from air resistance. The propellers lie roughly on the same plane as the body of the AEV, maximizing the thrust produced by the propellers from power supplied from the motors. With the arduino and power supplies centered on the AEV, the center of mass of the vehicle is maintained while the small frame keeps the design light, reducing friction between the wheels and the track. Furthermore, the bulky encasing would add unnecessary weight to the AEV.
Team Design:
After group collaboration and research it was determined that our design must be economical, lightweight, and aerodynamic. The front end is rounded with smooth curving edges to promote wind resistance. It curves inward with a winged back end to cut through air. It was created as short and thin as possible to adequately accommodate the LiPo Battery, automatic control system, and electric motor. The wheels suspend along the middle of the cart to create symmetry, and weight displacement. The back of this cart was not made mimicking the front-end in order to appropriately encompass the battery and control system. This feature, though significant, was given up in order to differently allocate resources.
SolidWorks Models
Prototype 1 on the left was the main AEV used during preliminary testing, but was bulky and not aerodynamic. The first prototype used a rectangular base with small trapezoidal pieces attached at an angle as wings. The motors were connected near the middle of the trapezoidal pieces, and the arm was attached towards the front with the bottom of the l-shape towards the back of the AEV. The arduino was placed on top of the base plate while the battery was secured beneath. Prototype two on the left increased wind resistance with the added front end and wings. More so, it embodied a more compact base decreasing weight to accommodate for the added front-end and wings.
Final Design
The team chose not to use the 3D printed parts not only because of cost, but also due to increased weight. Though more aerodynamic, the added parts did more damage to cost by increasing weight. Prototype 2 without the SolidWorks parts and with a T-shaped arm was chosen as the final design, resulting in the figure above. It incorporated the T-shaped base plate with the T-shaped arm for increased balance. The arm was placed inside the front cap facing toward the back, and the arduino and battery were positioned the same as in the first prototype.