Technology Brief:
Self Propelled Vehicle Competition
Your assignment is to build a vehicle from at least partly recycled
materials (eg. wood off-cuts, cardboard toilet rolls, boxes, bottle lids,
CD's, etc). You will investigate, design and produce a vehicle that will
travel at least 1 metre with the following restrictions:
• Its energy storage device can only be a balloon or a large rubber
band
• No commercially available wheels are to be used
• It must travel on the floor - wood/concrete/lino
• It must begin from a standing start - no pushing
• The energy storage device must travel with the vehicle
You need to complete a detailed diagram of your design, including
measurements, a list of all materials used and a how to guide. You will
also have to prepare a list of design goals that you will use to assess
your completed machine.
Your Self Propelled Vehicle design will be judged on:
Originality and Aesthetics
Technical Design and How well it functions
Sketches and Diagrams
Final presentation
25%
25%
25%
25%
Your finished product will be presented to the class in the last week of
term 2.
Good Luck!
Self Propelled Vehicle Competition
Design Brief Planner
Investigate and design
• What information do you need to develop your design?
• Make a list of questions you need to research.
• Use simple mind maps, sketches and labelled diagrams to explore
different design solutions. Develop three rough designs for your
vehicle. Remember your designs must include some of the simple
machines we’ve looked at this term. Label them as Design idea 1,
Design idea 2, Design idea 3. Then the key parts of each design.
• Choose one design solution. Record: Which number design have
you chosen? and
• Why did you choose this design?
• Draw a more detailed plan and make a list of materials required and
why you chose that material. Don’t forget to list joining materials
(glues etc) too.
• Record a list of design goals that’ll you use to evaluate your
completed product.
Produce
• Using your plan and list of materials construct your product.
• Write a step-by-step plan of how you make your vehicle including
the tools and equipment that you will use.
• Make ongoing modifications to your design and develop alternative
solutions to fix any problems in your design.
Analysis and Evaluate
• Present your finished product to the rest of the class. Explain its
various features and why you have included them into your design.
• Explain the difficulties or problems that you had and how you
worked to overcome them.
• Evaluate your completed product using your list of design goals.
Self Propelled Vehicle Record Sheet
My best design
• Which number design have you chosen?
• Why did you choose this design?
Listing the materials
Write one material in each box.
Why did you choose this material?
My plan
•
•
Write a step-by-step plan of how you will make your puppet including the tools and equipment that you will use.
Remember that you need to use at least one of the simple machines we‘ve looked at.
Write the steps here
Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Step 4
Step 5
Step 6
In this column list the tools and equipment you will use
Write the steps here
Step 7
Step 8
Step 9
Step 10
Step 11
Step 12
In this column list the tools and equipment you will use
My design progress
On this and the next page, list the changes you made to your designs and the vehicle, and explain why they were made. You don’t
have to fill in every box. Just use as many as you need.
Changes made to your drawings/designs
Changes made to your vehicle
Date:
Date:
Change/s made:
Change/s made:
Reasons for changes made:
Reasons for changes made:
Date:
Date:
Change/s made:
Change/s made:
Reasons for changes made:
Reasons for changes made:
Changes made to your drawings/designs
Changes made to your vehicle
Date:
Date:
Change/s made:
Change/s made:
Reasons for changes made:
Reasons for changes made:
Date:
Date:
Change/s made:
Change/s made:
Reasons for changes made:
Reasons for changes made:
Final Reflection
•
Draw a picture of your finished vehicle (paste it on this page).
Final Reflection
•
Compare the drawing of your finished vehicle with your first drawing.
List the things that are different.
Do you think the changes you made to your vehicle made it better? Why?
Final Reflection
•
Look back at the materials you said you would use. Did you use the same materials? Why/why not?
•
Do you think the materials you used were good materials to use? Why/why not?
•
Are there changes you could now make to your vehicle that would make it better?