Our vehicle was able to move on test day but it did not go the full 10 meters that it was supposed to. We attempted a few times winding the string differently to see if it would help but it would only for about 5 meters and then it would veer off to the right. We took a closer look at the wheels and axles and found out that our front wheel was rubbing on the frame as well as neither the front or back axles were straight. We tried during the test period to see if we could make it work with the spacers on the front wheel but nothing seemed to make it travel any farther. However, it did meet most of the criteria for the vehicle other than the distance and having a straight path. Setting the trap ->Mousetrap Vehicle Checklist
- Does it work? Yes, it does work but it needs some adjustments.
- Does it operated consistently? Yes, it operates the same way each time.
- Deos it withstand repeated use? Yes, it withstands repeated use but over a very long period of time I would guess the mousetrap would wear-out.
- Is it made form existing materials? Yes, we did not have to mold or create any of the pieces, just had to cut out bits from the PVC pipes
- Does it meet all design criteria? Yes, it meets all of the design criteria.
- Are risks minimized in design? The vehicle itself is not a risk but the mousetrap could potentially be a risk to fingers.
- Is it easily operated? Yes, the vehicle is easy to operate the string and the trap is the only two things to set and it does not take long.
- Does it go in a Straight line path? No, our vehicle goes fairly straight for about a meter and then starts going to the right rapidly.
We are going to completely remake our vehicle so that the axles are straight. We also plan to use records for our back wheels and CDs for the front wheels to decrease weight and increase the distance, hopefully from 5 meters to 10 meters.
