Mechanical Engineering Commons^™

Dynamics And Steering Of A Vibration-Driven Bristle Bot In A Pipe System, Ian Stewart

All Theses

Soft vibrational robots are robots that incorporate compliant structures into their design and are driven by oscillating actuators. A recent, popular version of a soft vibrational robot is the bristle bot, which uses flexible bristles and a vibration motor to propel itself across surfaces and through pipes. This motion is primarily driven by stick-slip dynamics resulting from asymmetric frictional forces applied at the bristle tips. Depending on the frequency of vibration of the motor, the robot experiences various resonance regions allowing it to maneuver in different directions. Attaching bristles to all sides of the robot and placing it in a …

Rc Baja Suspension And Steering, Garrett Bailey

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC Baja team set out to engineer and construct a working remote-control device that can compete in the ASME Baja Competition. The students have a focus on either suspension and steering or drivetrain and chassis. This report is centered on the suspension and steering. First, multiple analyses were completed using engineering methods such as mechanical design, statics, strengths of materials, and dynamics for parts of the device. The calculations found in the analysis are then used to create designs for the parts so that they will meet the requirements and be successful in the competition. After the parts are …

Radio-Controlled Baja Car, Jaxx Brown

All Undergraduate Projects

The Central Washington University RC Baja competition tests students’ skills in engineering in a matter of ability to design, construct and test an RC car. The objective of this senior project is to manufacture efficient suspension and steering systems for an RC vehicle and compete at the end of the school year against other students’ vehicles. Two races will be conducted during the competition, the RC vehicle will compete in a slalom-and-sprint and a Baja. Using more than one manufacturing method and material was expected of students to create the steering and suspension systems. Through CAD software and 3D printers …

B.A.C.O.N. (Battery-Powered Autonomous Cart Conversion) Autonomous Vehicle Design, Robyn C. Ribet, Damond Li, Tanner Hillman, Christopher Or

Mechanical Engineering

The goal of our project is to convert an electric go cart into an autonomous testing platform. We must enable autonomous braking, steering, and acceleration with electro-mechanical systems. We began the project with ideation to create our initial design and have since received ample feedback from faculty, students, and our sponsor. With this feedback we were able to refine our preliminary ideas and produce a detailed design supported with ample analysis, research, and external advice. We have developed our project in four main subsystems: Steering, braking, acceleration, and emergency braking. Following, we procured, manufactured, and assembled all of our designed …

Rc Baja Drivetrain And Steering, Jacob Swift

All Undergraduate Projects

The goal of this project is to construct a small remote-control vehicle that is capable of fluid, controlled and precise movement. In order to allow the smooth movement of an RC Car through an obstacle course, the back wheels of the car must be able to receive power and the front wheels must be able to turn. This chassis and suspension that supported these assemblies was designed by project partner Sean Gordon. Design requirements were as follows:

• Drivetrain and Steering systems must weigh a combined

• Drivetrain must produce a maximum output speed >=20mph

• Turning angle of no less than 45 …

Rc Baja: Drivetrain And Steering, Mathew Morgan

All Undergraduate Projects

The RC Baja competition is a contest where undergraduate mechanical engineering students design, build, and compete against one another. The objective of this competition is to create the most efficient RC car possible. A gear train analysis was done and showed an 8:1 gear ratio would be the most efficient ratio due to the chosen motor having a higher torque output. Also, a stress analysis was done and showed that 2011 T3 aluminum passed the stress and weight criteria. These analyses ensured the RC Baja car was efficient. Most of the parts for the drivetrain and steering subassemblies were machined …

Rc Baja Independent Suspension And Chassis Design And Development, Joseph Fritz

All Undergraduate Projects

The goal of this project is to develop an RC car to compete in the MET RC Baja competition. A car will be constructed to be as lightweight, durable, and fast as possible while abiding by ROAR (Remotely Operated Auto Racers) regulations. As such, suspension, steering, chassis and drivetrain systems will need to be devised to form a complete vehicle. The chassis must provide mounting points for all other components of the vehicle and provide a rigid platform in order to create a stable vehicle. The suspension must operate smoothly, allowing for at least 1 inch of ground clearance, …

Rc Baja, Cam Jamison

All Undergraduate Projects

To satisfy the Mechanical Engineering Technology program requirements a senior project was accomplished with an RC car build. An RC car was designed, manufactured, and tested to meet all requirements set forth by American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) RC Baja competition. A two-person team was assembled to build the RC Car. Teammate Paul Lervick was responsible for the suspension and chassis components and the other was responsible for the drivetrain and steering components. During the fall quarter drawings and general designs were created. Many different RC cars and motorized vehicles were referenced when initially coming up with aesthetic ideas. …

Pc Rc Baja: Steering And Drivetrain, Pablo Ruelas

All Undergraduate Projects

Students participating in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) RC Baja competition are expected to work in teams of two to create an RC car from their own design to compete in a race and off-roading competition, as well as meeting the requirement of holding a top speed of at least 15mph. The students of team PC RC Baja used various methods to create the parts necessary for a functional RC car. Parts such as the gearbox and differential-box were 3D printed to incorporate their complex designs, and because they’re used as housing and not expected to withstand substantial …

Rc Baja-Drivetrain & Steering, Tucker Odegaard

All Undergraduate Projects

There was a need for an RC car that would turn the power of a brushless motor into torque to the wheels, in order for it to move forward and backward. The car needed to meet given requirements in order to compete in the annual American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) RC Baja competition. The team requirements were to reach a top speed of 20 mph, turn 60° in both directions, survive a three-foot drop, and spend no more than $500 total on the project. In order to meet the requirements, the device chosen was an RC Baja that had …

Mini Rc Baja Car, Jason Schindler

All Undergraduate Projects

Incorporating each aspect of engineering incorporated into a senior project is difficult. That is why an RC Baja car is a great senior project for Mechanical Engineering students. The approach that students must take to design, construct, and test the car is to set parameters, and to make overall goals that can be easily measured. These goals include, but not limited to things like a $700 budget and the ability to withstand a 1-foot drop to a flat surface on all four wheels simultaneously. First, the design must meet the specifications and rules that are set previously. This ensures that …

R/C Mini Baja Car: Drive Train And Steering, Carlton R. Mcdonald

All Undergraduate Projects

The purpose of the Baja R/C Car is to compete in the ASME eFX competition in a series of events to prove the functionality of the vehicle. This series of events includes the Slalom, Drag, and Baja race, The Slalom is a test in the steering capability of the vehicle, the Drag is a test in the acceleration of the vehicle in a straight line, and the Baja puts all factors together in a race to test every component of the vehicle. This project is about building an R/C car that not only functions, but also has maximum performance capabilities …

Human Powered Vehicle Internal Systems Design, Zachary Broadbent, Jordan Boos, Patrick Gaertner, Caleb Miner

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

The objective of this design project is to redesign the seat and steering system for the Human Powered Vehicle Team. The goal of the seat design is too improve ergonomics by making it more comfortable and adjustable. In making the seat adjustable, it will be easier for drivers to achieve an optimal efficiency when pedaling. The aim for steering will be to improve the ergonomics as well as performance by analyzing steering systems in the past and evaluating how each design was successful and for what reason. Another main goal of the steering system will be improving the stability and …

Zips Electric Racing Suspension Design, Christopher Thompson, Madison Hughes, Erikah Jackson, Anna Signorino

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

As a member of the 2020 Zips Electric Racing Design Team, I will design the suspension subsystem with three other members. Specifically concentrating on the steering and suspension mounting points, we will optimize and improve some components from the previous year's design. Modeling of components will be done in Solidworks and suspension vehicle behavior will be modeled in MATLAB and Optimum Kinematics.

Zips Electric Racing Suspension Design, Madison Hughes, Christopher Thompson, Erikah Jackson, Anna Signorino

Williams Honors College, Honors Research Projects

I am working with three others on the suspension and steering sybsystems for the Zips Electric Racing design team at The University of Akron. We are improving upon last year's design to help create an optimized vehicle. As part of this project, we take part in weekly design reviews and team meetings, model parts in Solidworks, and perform simulations and FEA using MATLAB/SIMULINK, Solidworks, and Optimum Kinematics.

Steering System For Sae Baja, Dallin Colgrove

Undergraduate Honors Theses

This thesis is to study the different types of steering geometry for the BYU Baja vehicle. The main steering geometries of study are Ackermann and parallel steering geometries. Ackermann steering geometry is ideal for low speed turns. During low speed turns Ackermann steering performs better than parallel steering due to a smaller radius of turn. Parallel steering ideally is better for high speed turns, because with parallel steering the slip angle is smaller than that of Ackermann geometry. A recommendation is made to the BYU Baja team to use Ackermann steering, but still do some more analysis of parallel steering …

Rc Baja Car Drivetrain/Steering Assembly, Douglas Erickson

All Undergraduate Projects

ASME hosts an annual competition between students to test various abilities of RC Baja cars under certain restraints. To compete, two members must coordinate to manufacture a suitable RC Baja car according to the parameters set by ASME. The objective of this project is to design and manufacture the drivetrain and steering mechanism. The other teammate will concurrently design and manufacture the chassis and suspension assembly. The drivetrain consists of two main assemblies, the transmission and the differential. The transmission houses the initial gear reduction as well as the motor and is manufactured using ABS printed plastic. The differential mates …

Rc Baja Car Suspension, Tyler Martin

All Undergraduate Projects

This year the Mechanical Engineering Technology Department at CWU is holding an R/C Baja car competition using the same rules as the ASME competition. The designed car must compete in three separate events: the slalom course, drag race, and obstacle course. By not only completing, but also being competitive in each of the events, the car will be deemed a success. Suspension and steering are two essential components of any R/C car, and was the main focus for this report. The suspension must be able to support the car in the event of impacts. In addition, the steering must be …

Asme Rc Baja Challenge: Suspension And Steering, Hunter W. Jacobson

All Undergraduate Projects

The American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) usually hosts an RC Baja challenge each year, testing a RC car in three events: slalom, acceleration and Baja. Although ASME will not be holding an event this year, CWU will be holding a similar event with three RC Baja car teams from CWU. The RC car that is tested in these events is designed and manufactured typically in teams of two. The RC car that each team submits must be able to complete these events while also remaining competitive. One part of great importance for the RC car is the suspension and …

Cal Poly Supermileage Steering System, Lucas S. Rybarczyk, Sean K. Michel, Giovanni P. Murillo

Mechanical Engineering

The following report outlines the full design process that the senior project team went through to develop a steering system for the 2018 Cal Poly Supermileage vehicle from the development to the manufacturing and testing of the senior project steering system. The team was successful in reducing the weight of the steering system from 12.64 to 5.85 pounds while remaining within the cost budget provided for the Cal Poly Supermileage team. The new steering system initially failed drop testing which resulted in the uprights pulling out of the bottom carbon supports. This failure was repaired with a small redesign to …

Prototype Vehicles Laboratory Steering Apparatus, Zachary W. Sharpell, Jorge Lopez, Colby R. Genasci

Mechanical Engineering

The Cal Poly Prototype Vehicles Team (PROVE) is designing a solar powered vehicle to break an international land speed record. The space within the driver’s cockpit allotted for the steering mechanism was too small for a conventional steering wheel. This report describes the process that was followed to design, manufacture, and test a compact and lightweight steering apparatus for the PROVE solar vehicle. A lateral lever steering system, the final design selected for PROVE’s solar car, was designed to withstand the maximum expected loads applied by the driver during the three-minute run of the competition. The lateral lever steering apparatus …

Multilink Suspension & Steering System For Cal Poly Formula Electric, Tristan French, Alissa Roland, Maximilian Sluiter

Mechanical Engineering

The purpose of this project was to design a suspension that would improve the performance of the Cal Poly SAE Formula Electric car around a racing track Performance would be quantified through skidpad, slalom, and straight-line acceleration tests as well as autocross lap times. The approach to meeting the objective was to increase the steady-state lateral acceleration and quicken the transient response while maintaining predictable handling so that the driver could extract maximum performance from the car.

The car uses round-section (motorcycle) tires at a large negative camber angle because the lateral force generated by a pair of negatively-cambered tires …

Autonomous Collision Avoidance, Thomas Stevens, Elliot Carlson, Ian Painter

Mechanical Engineering

A steering controlled, autonomous collision avoidance system has been developed by California Polytechnic State University. This system represents a step in the direction of fully autonomous driving, while allowing the driver to maintain control of the vehicle during normal driving conditions. In the case of an imminent collision, the system removes control of the vehicle from the user and autonomously steers around the obstacles. The final system is able to avoid two static obstacles with a 95% pass rate and one moving obstacle with a 50% pass rate. With full scale, fleet wide, implementation of this system it is expected …