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Jason Schindler

RC Baja: Drivetrain, Suspension and Steering

Central Washington University

Description

I participated in a competition ran by ASME for designing, constructing and testing a miniature RC Baja car. I was part of a team of 2, and I was responsible for the drivetrain, steering and sharing the design of the suspension. This website features the analysis of components of the car, along with the process of constructing and assembling these parts together. The testing and results of the testing will also be showed in this website. 

Abstract

Incorporating each aspect of engineering incorporated into a senior project is difficult. That is why an RC Baja car is a great senior project for Mechanical Engineering students. The approach that students must take to design, construct, and test the car is to set parameters, and to make overall goals that can be easily measured. These goals include, but not limited to things like a $700 budget and the ability to withstand a 1-foot drop to a flat surface on all four wheels simultaneously. First, the design must meet the specifications and rules that are set previously. This ensures that there is a motivating factor to the design. For example, if there is not a price restriction on the design, then budgeting and using material more effectively would not occur. Designs specifically made for design goals were calculated using both material analysis, thermodynamics, and kinematic systems.  For example, if the car had to be able to drop from a 1-foot elevation, then the suspension of the car must be able to withstand the force of the entire weight of the car as it is dropped from that height. The resulting goals of the car are then tested, and depending on the results of these tests, merits either re-design, or continued use of these components that were tested. This test, redesign and test again is a key process in perfecting the RC car that will be presented in this poster. 

Initial Sketch of Design

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