TESTING
The testing done on the vehicle directly concerned the functionality of both the drivetrain and the steering mechanism. To test the drivetrain, the design requirement that is being tested is the vehicle’s ability to reach a top speed of 20 mph. The parameters being tested are the time that the vehicle takes to travel from point A to point B. The car performed less than the requirement at a speed of 7.5 mph. With the main focus of the steering being functionality, the steering mechanism's ability to guide the car was tested. This test proved that the steering assembly did not meet the design requirements.
RESULTS
SPEED TEST
April 12, 2018
The overall procedure of this test is measuring the amount of time it takes the vehicle to travel a designated length. In order for the vehicle to be successful in this test, it needs to travel from point to point, in less than 1 second. Based on the results of the test, the vehicle failed this test having an average top speed of 7.5 mph. This is likely due to a large amount of unforeseen friction occurring in the differential of the drivetrain.
TURNING TEST
April 22, 2018
For this test the distance that is required for the vehicle to complete a U-turn is measured. This test is designed to observe the turning capability of the vehicle in two directions. This test is perfromed at three different speeds to gage the amount of steering capability lost with speed. The parameter values for the turning test are the lengths measured by the tape measure. These are compared to the required value of 60 inches.
FUTURE RESEARCH
Based on the results of the speed test, the vehicle experiences a large amount of power loss through friction. To mitigate this in the future, thrust bearings will be used in place of the washers that reduce rubbing friction. The results from the steering test suggest that the steering capability for both directions can be improved. Research on an alternate servo arm is currently underway.