Mousetrap Vehicle C

[sabacat]

Mousetrap Vehicle Wiki
Past Threads: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

can you point me in the right direction for adding a button to start the mousetrap vehicle?
Thanks

[antoine_ego]

Mousetrap Vehicle Wiki
Past Threads: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

can you point me in the right direction for adding a button to start the mousetrap vehicle?
Thanks

The button is simply pressing the release on one of the traps. No external button necessary (unless you want to have both release bars set before you release).

[vjindal]

Mousetrap Vehicle Wiki
Past Threads: 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013

can you point me in the right direction for adding a button to start the mousetrap vehicle?
Thanks

The button is simply pressing the release on one of the traps. No external button necessary (unless you want to have both release bars set before you release).

Even if you want to have both traps set before release, you do not need an external button. The pencil can be held sideways so that you can hit both traps simultaneously. We did this at MIT and Islip.

[PM2017]

can you point me in the right direction for adding a button to start the mousetrap vehicle?
Thanks

The button is simply pressing the release on one of the traps. No external button necessary (unless you want to have both release bars set before you release).

Even if you want to have both traps set before release, you do not need an external button. The pencil can be held sideways so that you can hit both traps simultaneously. We did this at MIT and Islip.

The proctors should have dinged you for that one, according to rule 3.g.

[vjindal]

The button is simply pressing the release on one of the traps. No external button necessary (unless you want to have both release bars set before you release).

Even if you want to have both traps set before release, you do not need an external button. The pencil can be held sideways so that you can hit both traps simultaneously. We did this at MIT and Islip.

The proctors should have dinged you for that one, according to rule 3.g.

It says the "actuation of it by the pencil is perpendicular (vertical) to the floor". This means that the motion of the pencil must be perpendicular, not the pencil itself.

Brother Nigel was our proctor at Islip. He is the national supervisor and he allowed us to orient the pencil horizontally and use a motion perpendicular to the floor.

[PM2017]

Even if you want to have both traps set before release, you do not need an external button. The pencil can be held sideways so that you can hit both traps simultaneously. We did this at MIT and Islip.

The proctors should have dinged you for that one, according to rule 3.g.

It says the "actuation of it by the pencil is perpendicular (vertical) to the floor". This means that the motion of the pencil must be perpendicular, not the pencil itself.

Brother Nigel was our proctor at Islip. He is the national supervisor and he allowed us to orient the pencil horizontally and use a motion perpendicular to the floor.

Ahh, you're right. Thanks for correcting me.

[thesenotes]

I was wondering, is it legal to launch the cup forwards past the cup line and then reverse directly to the target point? I think someone asked this earlier on this forum. As long as the cup remains in contact with the floor the entire time I think it should be legal according to the rules. The question is, is this legal, and would this be considered not "in the spirit of the event" to the supervisors running it?

[Alex-RCHS]

I was wondering, is it legal to launch the cup forwards past the cup line and then reverse directly to the target point? I think someone asked this earlier on this forum. As long as the cup remains in contact with the floor the entire time I think it should be legal according to the rules. The question is, is this legal, and would this be considered not "in the spirit of the event" to the supervisors running it?

I’m not sure if it’s legal but two potential arguments for its illegality were brought up earlier in this thread, one due to the parts not moving “as a whole” (or something like that) and the other due to the “spirit of the event”.

In my opinion it’s not even worth it if you could. It won’t make you any more accurate, just a little bit faster, so as a best case scenario it’ll shave off, what, 4 points? At the risk of being tiered. It’s better to just focus on accuracy, IMO.

[PM2017]

I was wondering, is it legal to launch the cup forwards past the cup line and then reverse directly to the target point? I think someone asked this earlier on this forum. As long as the cup remains in contact with the floor the entire time I think it should be legal according to the rules. The question is, is this legal, and would this be considered not "in the spirit of the event" to the supervisors running it?

When I asked this earlier, I think that the decision was that it is illegal because all parts of the vehicle must move as a whole (I found this iffy, since by this logic the lever arm is a violation...), and since the event description states that the mousetrap car will be designed to push the cup forward, then reverse. (A better reason imo.)

Both these reasons are up to interpretation, however. One solution is to build two cars, one traditionally, and one unidirectional with a cup launcher, but idk which SciOlympian has time for that.

Also, speaking of loopholes in this event, the rules state that nothing can touch the ground unless its string, wheels, or already in contact at the start of the run. Does anyone think that it is possible to have a break pad touching the ground at the start, lift up, and push back down at the end?

Also, that moment when you squander your team's second place by winding the car backward, (the precision was nigh perfect though). We got sixth overall, with only a 14 pt difference between us and second. If my car hadn't gotten only participation points, we would have placed second... Lessons learned I guess...

[PM2017]

I was wondering, is it legal to launch the cup forwards past the cup line and then reverse directly to the target point? I think someone asked this earlier on this forum. As long as the cup remains in contact with the floor the entire time I think it should be legal according to the rules. The question is, is this legal, and would this be considered not "in the spirit of the event" to the supervisors running it?

I’m not sure if it’s legal but two potential arguments for its illegality were brought up earlier in this thread, one due to the parts not moving “as a whole” (or something like that) and the other due to the “spirit of the event”.

In my opinion it’s not even worth it if you could. It won’t make you any more accurate, just a little bit faster, so as a best case scenario it’ll shave off, what, 4 points? At the risk of being tiered. It’s better to just focus on accuracy, IMO.

Actually, it might. any wobble in the wheel or any slight imperfect would be amplified in the extra six meters.