Gravity Vehicle C

[Balsa Man]

Ya know, I could have this all wrong- haven't seen any competitions- our Regionals is not till Mar 3, and hopefully, we'll be ready for "all systems", full-out testing this weekend..... I really like the multi-layered challenges of this one

On the surface, it IS very simple. I think its pretty straightforward, and pretty easy to get a reasonably competitive setup. However, I think there are a number of aspects where good understanding of the underlying physics, good engineering, precision building can and will make a real difference. Durability, easy adjustability, and ease of set-up will also make a meaningful difference. Looked at individually, each of these aspects doesn't represent an opportunity to pick up (actually knock off) major points, but if they're all optimized, and the right trade-offs are made where needed, I think there will a significant difference in a reasonably competitive, and a....seriously competitive vehicle. The increments that will make that difference - separate the winners from the almost winners - will be small. On the one hand, maybe that is part of the "lack of excitement." On the other hand, knowing that a couple tenths of a second, a couple centimeters, a couple of the design aspects not well-optimized, could well be the difference in winning and being out of the medals is in itself "exciting."

We've really enjoyed the exploration of material properties, and building techniques to get a desired level of precision, and how understanding and applying the underlying physics really does make a measurable difference. We'll see if it all works as planned soon.

[Kovu]

I am confused with the rules when it says an automatic release device on the ramp. What is an example of this I just really dont get how that works.

This is my understanding of what an "automatic release mechanism" is:
The release mechanism has to hold the car in place without having to use the starting pencil. So if you have a block that can hold the car to the ramp without having to use the starting pencil to, say, hold that block of wood to a slot in the ramp, then your release mechanism is fine. The starting pencil is only used for triggering the "switch" that releases the car form the ramp.

Bad comparison (Click to Show Hidden Text)

This is a really bad example, but let's say that your car is a can of soda in a vending machine, the vending machine is the ramp, and the coin that you insert to get it is the starting pencil. The soda can is being supported by the mechanisms in the vending machine and doesn't rely on the starting pencil to keep it in place. The soda can will stay there for an unlimited amount of time until the coin (starting pencil) is inserted. Once you insert the coin (starting pencil) the mechanisms in the vending machine releases the can of soda.

If someone would like to correct me then by all means please do. :P

Okay cool I completely understand now thanks.

[illusionist]

This event is complex, however it's extremely repetitive and I must admit, that even though I was really excited when learning the physics and constructing the vehicle, the testing is extremely boring. With MTV, it was a little smaller, less cumbersome, and snapping the mousetrap and setting the vehicle was somewhat fun. GV is putting it on a ramp, and pulling some string. I'm not quite sure how to improve it though. Chalker(7), what were some ideas that you guys were thinking of?

(Btw, it's a little early to start talking about changes for events in my opinion. Many of us haven't even been to a full competition yet)

[chalker7]

This event is complex, however it's extremely repetitive and I must admit, that even though I was really excited when learning the physics and constructing the vehicle, the testing is extremely boring. With MTV, it was a little smaller, less cumbersome, and snapping the mousetrap and setting the vehicle was somewhat fun. GV is putting it on a ramp, and pulling some string. I'm not quite sure how to improve it though. Chalker(7), what were some ideas that you guys were thinking of?

(Btw, it's a little early to start talking about changes for events in my opinion. Many of us haven't even been to a full competition yet)

That's totally fine, just thought I'd throw the floor open to suggestions if there are complaints. It's only fair that way.

I'd rather hold onto the ideas for now in case we end up actually using one of them next year and to not distract from practicing that may be actively going on.

[chalker]

T Chalker(7), what were some ideas that you guys were thinking of?

(Btw, it's a little early to start talking about changes for events in my opinion. Many of us haven't even been to a full competition yet)

We honestly haven't started talking about it yet... so the time is ripe for you all to seed ideas in our heads if you have them.

[Primate]

T Chalker(7), what were some ideas that you guys were thinking of?

(Btw, it's a little early to start talking about changes for events in my opinion. Many of us haven't even been to a full competition yet)

We honestly haven't started talking about it yet... so the time is ripe for you all to seed ideas in our heads if you have them.

In the vein of mousetrap:

Two ramps, fiveish meters apart. Must launch down one ramp, up and back down the other, and end somewhere in the middle. I think it adds some really interesting challenges: stopping after a direction change, "catching" and reorienting the vehicle on the second ramp, and optimizing launch position to minimize time.

Just one idea.

[winneratlife]

T Chalker(7), what were some ideas that you guys were thinking of?

(Btw, it's a little early to start talking about changes for events in my opinion. Many of us haven't even been to a full competition yet)

We honestly haven't started talking about it yet... so the time is ripe for you all to seed ideas in our heads if you have them.

In the vein of mousetrap:

Two ramps, fiveish meters apart. Must launch down one ramp, up and back down the other, and end somewhere in the middle. I think it adds some really interesting challenges: stopping after a direction change, "catching" and reorienting the vehicle on the second ramp, and optimizing launch position to minimize time.

Just one idea.

Building 2 ramps sounds tedious; as well, this would be incredibly dependent on friction (since energy should be conserved ideally and it would just be infinite oscillation sans friction) and thus way too dependent on the event floor.

I'm thinking something in the vein of last year's battery buggy; you have to curve the vehicle path according to the event supervisor. Might be complicated for teams to design adjustably curved ramps, but hey, it sounds interesting enough.

[Paradox21]

Not to turn this event into Trajectory, but you could put an obstacle in front of the ramp that the vehicle must JUMP over before rolling to a target point. That would be a tough event.

[lucwilder42]

Not to turn this event into Trajectory, but you could put an obstacle in front of the ramp that the vehicle must JUMP over before rolling to a target point. That would be a tough event.

Cars jumping is always good, I'm in

[bearasauras]

When y'all see your gravity vehicle required to jump through hoops of fire, you can blame paradox