{"id":419,"date":"2025-02-08T14:40:40","date_gmt":"2025-02-08T19:40:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stgeorges.bc.ca\/felixh\/?p=419"},"modified":"2025-02-08T14:40:40","modified_gmt":"2025-02-08T19:40:40","slug":"the-finale-beetlejuice","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wp.stgeorges.bc.ca\/felixh\/2025\/02\/08\/the-finale-beetlejuice\/","title":{"rendered":"The Finale: Beetlejuice"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Hello all! This is the end of the Enceladus project<\/a>. In this chapter, my team, Roy Zeng<\/a>, Joshua Chen<\/a> and me, collect data and run tests.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Abstract<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Enceladus, a moon of Saturn, is one of the only places in the solar system that has the possibility of fostering life. This is the reason why my team, Beetlejuice, have decided to design a vehicle that is able to traverse its harsh terrain under these conditions:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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A team of astronauts must travel a 10 kilometer round trip on Enceladus safely while combatting icy temperatures of around –201o<\/sup>C, geysers of water vapor, high brightness induced low visibility, dangerous radiation levels, and the possibility of escaping from Enceladus\u2019s gravity pull (0.113 m\/s2<\/sup>).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

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Our approach included extensive research, CAD design and prototyping, refer to how my team came up with a prototype of a rover<\/a> for specifics. As high schoolers, we will not be able to test multiple things outlined such as the high brightness, radiation and gravity.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Vehicle<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Our team had a grand plan for how our vehicle was going to look and work. However, multiple unfortunate events with printing and arduino occured, which led to major design changes, which include:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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  • the discarding of the suspension because of inconsistencies in printing<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • the remodeling of the entire vehicle body to better suit the environment<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  • the annihilation of the arduino + wiring because it kept bugging for unknown reasons<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
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    Therefore, our vehicle went from this design:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    to this prototype:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    \"\"<\/figure>\n\n\n\n
    \"\"<\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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    After meticulous building and 3D printing, we were finally finished with our first prototype. Shown in the images above, our car’s wiring is now a very simple circuit, as it is just a 9 volt battery connected to the motors without using the arduino or any motor drivers. In addition to all of the problems highlighted above, our car now has a string attached to stop the car (by pulling out a wire).<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

    Testing & Analysis<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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    Our test was initially designed to compare the vehicle on flat ground and bumpy ground:<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

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    1. Materials Needed<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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    • Vehicle:<\/strong>\u00a0Prototype<\/li>\n\n\n\n
    • Simulated Surface:<\/strong>\n
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      • large tarps<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • small rocks\/gravel\/sand to create obstacles<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • spray bottle<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
      • Measurement Tools:<\/strong>\n
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        • camera to record vehicle\/environmental interaction<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n
          2. Procedure<\/h5>\n\n\n\n

          Setting up:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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          1. Add small rocks between tarps to create an uneven surface.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. Create a simulated icy surface by spraying the tarp with water.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

            Test Runs:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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            1. Drive the vehicle on flat ground 290 centimeters for 3 times while recording.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            2. Drive the vehicle through the course 290 centimeters for 3 times while recording.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
            3. Observe how the suspension system reacts to bumps, slopes, and obstacles.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              Record Observations:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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              1. the time for the vehicle to do the course.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
              2. areas of concern where the vehicle struggles\/gets stuck<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n
                3. Analysis<\/h5>\n\n\n\n
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                • A smaller time increase on bumpy ground compared flat ground suggests better suspension performance and smoother navigation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n
                • A bigger time increase suggests the opposite.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n
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                  Although we had no suspension, we still stuck to the plan to test the vehicle’s maneuverability<\/strong>. This is one of the runs from our control run on flat ground:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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