Remote Controlled Motorcycle
SI 435 Final Project
Assorted Parts
Gears
There were many assorted gears used in this project to allow for the motorcycle to be moved with the use of only one small motor. The motor was placed on the main and largest gear that when spun would slowly spin the rest of the gears to move the motorcycle forwards and backwards
Motor
The singular motor was used to move the motorcycle in tandem with many gears used. It was placed in the front in order to balance weight with the batteries in the back to ensure there was enough downforce to keep the front wheel on the ground
Board and Antenna
There were two boards and antennas used in this project. It crucial to understand the connections and soldering for it to ensure that they worked as intended. They are simple and easy to understand with limited controls
Problem
Remote Controlled toys can be expensive and buying them can feel like a big commitment to finally go ahead and buy one. As a result, kids don’t have easy access to them and if something goes wrong, they cannot fix it themselves. This leaves a clear void where an accessible, easy to make remote controlled vehicle can be bought that is both cheap, and teaches kids about the parts so that if it breaks in any way, they can figure out what the cause may be
Solution
Initially we had wanted to create cars and a track similar to pinewood derby to track the cars speed better and look more into speed and competition. However, we realized that this strayed from the problem and decided just to go into the vehicles themselves. We finally decided to create several remote controlled wooden vehicles from a racecar, to a solar powered car and even a motorcycle. We did this with materials that are both cheap, safe, effective and easy to learn and use. This allowed us to create products that fill the void that we found and can be a good entry level remote controlled vehicle to allow kids to experiment and learn about the fundamentals of remote controlled vehicles without spending a lot of money on the prebuilt name brand vehicles available.
Wooden Blocks
The wooden blocks were utilized to be the frame of the motorcycle, housing every component and being stable enough to support the creation of the motorcycle
Supplies Used
Design Process
We decided to take inspiration from several vehicle kits to primarily guide us through our design process. We realized that it would be more beneficial to use a kit rather than to source every individual material for simplicity sake for both us and the potential users. Because of this, when sourcing kits, we wanted to look for materials that are important in all remote controlled vehicles. This includes, batteries, wheels, motors, gears, wires etc… What mattered most is that the components were simple and universal to what is used in more complex vehicles. As such, this is important for educational use to allow for this to bring people into the space and teach them about each component as they build. Lastly, these decisions stemmed from what I learned in this semester from previous labs, giving me the tools I needed to complete this project.
Lab 3 : Light
This lab gave me the tools I needed to fully understand Arduino boards as well as connections involving cables as well as powering devices. In this project, there were several cables used to attach the motor and remote control to their respective boards so that there would be both power and movement in the motorcycle. I was really able to hone my electrical skills in this lab and experiment with power and light in a way that I have not been able to before.
Lab 5 : Motion
This lab gave me the tools I needed to fully understand how different devices move especially through the use of motors. I was given a glimpse into how motors interact with different tools and dials. This was important as I needed to figure out how to ensure that the connections on my remote control were perfect in my project to ensure that they enabled the motorcycle to not only move, but move in the correct directions as well.
Final Product
In the end, I created a children friendly, interactive and easy to build and use motorcycle. It is supposed to look inviting and fun to build, inspiring children to want to build it and learn over buying the expensive prebuilt versions on the market. It is simple and easy to use and even has fake arms and legs to imitate a person on the motorcycle to make it even more fun when it is being used. The final product is shown on the right
Critical Reflection
Throughout this course there were many times where I was introduced to new skills that tools that I had never witnessed before. From Arduino boards to thermoplastics and soldering I was able to try out many methods of creating objects in a new hands on way. I felt that my biggest triumph was when we learned how to solder. At first, I was greeted with dangerous tools that were exceptionally hot and emit fumes that i was told not to breathe. Then I was given other devices to hold what i was working on and to suck up the fumes, two things that looked like mini robots and were extremely confusing at first. As I begun to learn how to solder, I was frustrated as I wasn't able to find the right spot to melt the wire at and then I would melt too much or too little and be forced to suck it up and start over again. However, with each setback I learned what I should be doing differently, from making sure to clean my tools after each solder, to how to position the wire itself and where to heat the board to get the best outcome possible. In the end, I was able to successfully solder all of our little gadgets and gizmos leaving me with three little toys that I could see as a tangible result of what I had just learned. This felt like such a triumph to me because if someone told me 4 years ago that I would be sitting in a class soldering wires together as a UX Design student I would say that they were out of their mind. However, this experience was extremely educational and also enjoyable and fun. Being able to work on something so tangible and see the result of each effort and setback felt extremely rewarding to me and i left class feeling like i really had just done something and learned a skill that I would not learn on my own. That entire experience and feeling to me is a triumph in itself and left me feeling fulfilled in the end