Testing
Testing Summary
The vehicle was tested in a variety of ways to ensure that it would function properly and to competition standard. To elaborate on this, two of the major tests will be explained for clarity. For the drop test, the vehicle will be lifted to a measured height of two feet. A camera will be placed at ground level to capture the coils and the level of deflection they experience as it absorbs the impact of the ground. Additionally, there will be some form of marking device placed on the bottom of the vehicle to ensure the bottom of the vehicle did not impact the ground. Once everything is set up, the vehicle will be dropped and recorded. The deliverable from this will be the travel of the coils and how successful it was in preventing the vehicle from “bottoming out”. The steering test will be conducted much like the analysis used to define the turning clearance for the steering in that a two-foot semi-circle will be drawn on the ground. The vehicle will be placed such that the outer tire is making contact with this circle and a camera will be held stationary above the circle. The vehicle operator will then turn at full bore and accelerate until the car has turned 180 degrees. This test will be repeated for both side of the vehicle to ensure consistency. The deliverable of this will be whether or not the vehicle is capable of making 180 degree turns in less than or equal to two feet. The range test will be conducted in a manner that mirrors the requirement it was made after. The test will include a track that is 100 ft long with the operator moving further and further away from the vehicle operating the steering system at every ten feet until the vehicle no longer works or the engineering team runs out of track. The deliverable of this test is how far away the operator my be before they are no longer able to operate the vehicle.
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Safety Precautions
Certain precautions must also be taken when conducting these tests on public or school property to ensure no damage is done if it can be avoided and if not, then testing should occur in a controlled environment where damage may be acceptable or controlled. Following this, the vehicle should be inspected after each test to ensure it is working properly and no parts are damaged so if they are they may be replaced or fixed in time to compete.
Test One: Drop Test
The first test procedure done for the vehicle was the Drop Test which was designed to test the shock absorbers capabilities in preventing the vehicle body from impacting the ground from a vertical drop. This was done by holding the vehicle parallel to the ground and dropping it every six inches until reaching two and half feet above the ground. Unfortunately the vehicle was unable to prevent the body from impacting the ground after a foot and a half distance was reached.
Figure 4.1: Example of Drop Test, this point of view captured a side profile of the dropped and allowed for an easy visual analysis.
Figure 4.2: Drop Test setup, fellow engineer Garrett Bailey assisted in this test procedure by holding the tape measurement up and providing the tripod seen here for video capture.
Figure 4.3: Drop Test clip, here a brief clip of one of the drop tests done by the engineering team can be seen as well as the force of impact experienced by the vehicle.
Test Two: Steering Test
The second test procedure done for the vehicle was the Steering Test which was designed to test the turning capabilities in of the vehicle when turning at full bore. This was done by creating a semi circle in a two foot radius and placing the vehicle as one end, turning the steering system fully, and accelerating. The vehicle did not perform as expected due to the length of the body being too short to properly utilize the turning radius of the vehicle.
Figure 4.4: Steering Test setup: Utilizing a track made by a previous engineering team, strips of tape were placed to mark down the two foot radius needed for the test which also doubled as the measure points for this test.
Figure 4.5: Steering Test Capture: At the midway point, the vehicle ceased motion so the engineering team may measure the outside tire in reference to the center of the blue tape.
Test Three: Range Test
The third test procedure done for the vehicle was the Range Test which was designed to test the operating capabilities of the vehicle when the operator moves further away. This was done by transporting the vehicle down Cessna Rd in Ellensburg, WA which has a total distance of .45 miles the driver would then steer the vehicle left and right until the maximum distance is reached while one person is observing the vehicles behavior over distance. The vehicle maintained control over the entire distance driven unfortunately, the road was not long enough to notice any change in the steering response of the vehilce.
Figure 4.6: Range Test Setup: Here is a still image of what the test looked like. The driver stood at the origin spot (circled in red) while the vehicle was driven away to a maximum of .45 miles.
