Gravity Vehicle C

[PM2017]

Instead of adding a guidance system, why not just make the ramp perfectly straight lol

when you figure out how to be 100% sure that’s it’s perfectly straight let me know

Me too

But how do you make sure that the guidance system is 100% straight? (or if not 100%, then better enough to warrant the extra effort?)

[knightmoves]

But how do you make sure that the guidance system is 100% straight? (or if not 100%, then better enough to warrant the extra effort?)

You need to make your guidance system straight. In the absence of a guidance system, you need to make your ramp flat.

Flat is harder than straight.

[lindsmaurer]

when you figure out how to be 100% sure that’s it’s perfectly straight let me know

Me too

But how do you make sure that the guidance system is 100% straight? (or if not 100%, then better enough to warrant the extra effort?)

I see it like this: the ramp is in 3 dimensions, and you have to make sure that it is completely even, and while you want to make it even regardless, it's hard to be certain.
A guidance system would be in two dimensions, possibly even in the form of a pre-cut board, which is (theoretically) straight.

[windu34]

when you figure out how to be 100% sure that’s it’s perfectly straight let me know

Me too

But how do you make sure that the guidance system is 100% straight? (or if not 100%, then better enough to warrant the extra effort?)

It doesn't have to be 100% straight As long as it is consistently released the same way each time. Once you have consistency, you can compensate for any imperfections when aiming I have no idea if a guidance system would be worth building, but I can definitely understand the thought process behind it and why it may be important in achieving consistent accuracy

[xiangyu]

Can someone give me some guidance over the making of the ramp? What materials should I use, where can I get them, anything I should watch for etc.

Also, what do you do to make a seamless transition from the ramp to the floor? (so the vehicle exits the ramp smoothly).

Thanks in advance!

[MTV<=>Operator]

Can someone give me some guidance over the making of the ramp? What materials should I use, where can I get them, anything I should watch for etc.

Also, what do you do to make a seamless transition from the ramp to the floor? (so the vehicle exits the ramp smoothly).

Thanks in advance!

To get the most seamless transition from the ramp to the floor, I think it would be best to have the least possible exit angle. This would ensure that as much energy is converted from potential to kinetic as possible without any being lost in a non-smooth transition. For vehicle materials, it all depends on the tools you have available to you. For the supports, wood will likely be the most popular material because of how easy it is to work with compared to other materials, but plastic and metal can be used as well. For the ramp surface, you can use formica, sheet metal, thin plastic sheets, thin plywood, etc. You want the surface and the wheels to have a high enough friction that the wheels turn immediately upon release but not so high that it slows the vehicle down considerably. Sorry if this wasn't a direct response, but the materials you can use depend on your design and the resources you have available to you.

[chessbucket]

Instead of adding a guidance system, why not just make the ramp perfectly straight lol

when you figure out how to be 100% sure that’s it’s perfectly straight let me know

Me too

Me three.

[095067]

Hey, How are you guys going to get the ramp to flex? I was thinking of a a flexible aluminum/steel sheet. This is my first doing Science Olympiad, any help will be appreciated.

[knightmoves]

Hey, How are you guys going to get the ramp to flex? I was thinking of a a flexible aluminum/steel sheet. This is my first doing Science Olympiad, any help will be appreciated.

Those are certainly options. You certainly want the nose of your ramp to be thin, so there's no big bump off the ramp on to the floor. Otherwise, anything that you can bend on to some kind of frame would work. I suspect that your choice of ramp surface doesn't matter very much.

[PM2017]

Me too

But how do you make sure that the guidance system is 100% straight? (or if not 100%, then better enough to warrant the extra effort?)

It doesn't have to be 100% straight As long as it is consistently released the same way each time. Once you have consistency, you can compensate for any imperfections when aiming I have no idea if a guidance system would be worth building, but I can definitely understand the thought process behind it and why it may be important in achieving consistent accuracy

Sorry, this is a pretty late reply, but then why do you even need a guidance system in the first place. If you would just adjust the direction of the ramp (which you would need to do anyways), it wouldn't make too much sense to make one.

This is, of course, assuming the vehicle starts moving the same way each time. (I guess the mechanism for getting this to happen -- like multiple hooks that are released at the same time -- would be a guidance system of sorts, but I had thought we were talking about something like rails.)