Prove your design talent and craftsmanship skills! Compete against other Techsplorers to see whose bot can pull the heaviest weight in the shortest time.
After completing this course you'll know how to design a solar car that can run in low light, go fast, pull hard, or any combination in between! Remember, in Techsplorers you design by understanding how it works.
We begin with the basics: voltage, current, resistance, and how to use a multi-meter to take these measurements. We also cover series and parallel circuit topologies and take a brief look at more advanced topics like Kirchoff's laws and Thevenin equivalence. Once the foundational concepts are in place, we research the electrical characteristics of the solar cell and the DC motor. Then your system-level design instincts will lead to a conclusion about the benefits of adding a charge-storage circuit.
With knowledge in place, background research completed, and a system-level vision of the design, it's time to build and develop. How will you design your car?
But even after all of that is finished and you've created a working prototype of your design, you're far from done. In fact, now the real fun begins — time to compete. Can you optimize the control circuit better than your classmates? Is your car design clever and its construction the best? I can tell you right now it isn't going to run in a straight line on pure luck. Innovation and attention to detail matter, as does your ability to work in a team and listen to the ideas of others. Welcome to the Art of Engineering, Techsplorer.
CONCEPT EXPOSURE
PRACTICAL SKILLS
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