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Any problem using electronics in a mousetrap vehicle? I do understand that the only energy source allowed is the mousetrap/s but is there anything that prohibits electronics if one can find a way to legally power them?

My interpretation of rule 2c would be that any electronics would need to be powered from the mousetrap.

old wrote:Any problem using electronics in a mousetrap vehicle? I do understand that the only energy source allowed is the mousetrap/s but is there anything that prohibits electronics if one can find a way to legally power them?

What do you need electronics for?
Anything you need it for, I'm pretty sure we could come up with an easier way of achieving it. After all, powering electronics with a mousetrap is...

old wrote:Any problem using electronics in a mousetrap vehicle? I do understand that the only energy source allowed is the mousetrap/s but is there anything that prohibits electronics if one can find a way to legally power them?

andrewwski wrote:My interpretation of rule 2c would be that any electronics would need to be powered from the mousetrap.

Actually I believe that rule 2c "lowest energy" statement is directed toward anything that would be contributing to the kinetic energy of the vehicle. I do think that electronics would be allowed as long as they are not contributing to the kinetic energy of the vehicle.

penclspinner wrote:

old wrote:Any problem using electronics in a mousetrap vehicle? I do understand that the only energy source allowed is the mousetrap/s but is there anything that prohibits electronics if one can find a way to legally power them?

andrewwski wrote:My interpretation of rule 2c would be that any electronics would need to be powered from the mousetrap.

Actually I believe that rule 2c "lowest energy" statement is directed toward anything that would be contributing to the kinetic energy of the vehicle. I do think that electronics would be allowed as long as they are not contributing to the kinetic energy of the vehicle.

2c? Can I assume 3c?
Anyways, again, why would you need electronics? As we've already made fairly clear, the electronic cannot contribute to the motion of the vehicle unless powered by the mousetraps. Now, if you were to use, say, a motor, you would be better off just using the mousetraps. After all, you'd have to convert mechanical energy of mousetraps to electrical energy back to mechanical energy. Each conversion loses some energy.

If using sighting devices, run 3h more or less explicitly states no electricity (even though I'm not even sure what a sighting device is. I mean, I know what one is, but not in the context of a car.)

Yeah, 3c. It starts out by saying "kinetic energy," but then mentions converting energy from the mousetrap and says "any additional energy sources must be in their lowest state." I'm not sure if the wording indicates this is only for energy that will be transposed to kinetic energy - to me it seems to indicate that it's referring to any energy.

I sent in an official rule clarification back in November:

Are electronics aiding the triggering of the reverse mechanism without adding any kinetic energy to the vehicle allowed?

The response:

Yes, electronics aiding the triggering of the reverse mechanism without adding any kinetic energy to the vehicle are allowed. However, note that if the vehicle stops for 3 or more seconds before reversing, the run is considered to have ended.

So you are ALLOWED to. But it seems like there are better ways. It is pretty easy to devise clever devices that weigh almost nothing and still capture almost the entire range of the mousetrap.

Hi there...
My build teams are slacking, so I'm left building this (along with trajectory..)
Anyways, Ive read over this board and the wiki, but I'm still unsure on the logistics of changing directions. Using the design with one mousetrap at each axle, how would I get the vehicle to stop and change directions? I don't mean triggering the other mousetrap, but like.. once its traveled the right distance, will the triggering of the other trap be enough to stop and reverse? Im just having a little trouble visualizing this... haha, we literally have nothing built yet, so I dont have anything concrete to work with yet.
Thanks.

lagiroflee wrote:Hi there...
My build teams are slacking, so I'm left building this (along with trajectory..)
Anyways, Ive read over this board and the wiki, but I'm still unsure on the logistics of changing directions. Using the design with one mousetrap at each axle, how would I get the vehicle to stop and change directions? I don't mean triggering the other mousetrap, but like.. once its traveled the right distance, will the triggering of the other trap be enough to stop and reverse? Im just having a little trouble visualizing this... haha, we literally have nothing built yet, so I dont have anything concrete to work with yet.
Thanks.

Basically, you wrap on string around one axle. Think of a wind-up toy. You wind a certain number of times, then a spring reverses whatever you did. So, you spin the axle so that when triggered, it will run 7 meters. After going seven meters, the other one has been winding the whole time (both sets of wheels are moving). So, once the first mousetrap is done unwinding (like when a wind-up toy stops), this is the stopping. Then, the second trap triggers. Same thing. The catch for this method is that you often end up with an infinite cycle of out and back, so I'd suggest method 3 on the wiki. Ask again if you will use it and you need help visualizing that one.

I was just wanting a clarification on the rules. The rules have restrictions on the wheel base, but they did not mention anything about an arm attached to the kill-bar. Are there any limitations on how long any arm attached to the bar can be?