Mousetrap-Powered Boat Project
Overview
Final Project for engineering introductory course titled “ENGR 10 – Introduction to Engineering” taught by Prof. Arineh Arzoumanian. This was a group project of 3 members – Gerardo Sanchez, James Enciso, and Young Suk Lim.
Project Requirements
Design and build a racer boat that is powered by a mousetrap. Your design will be assessed based on the distance traveled and its cost effectiveness.
Project Approach
The boat design used a cylindrical paddle wheel to row the boat forward. A string was wrapped around the paddle wheel’s axle and tied to a wooden rod that was attached to the moveable frame of a mousetrap. As the mousetrap frame snapped forward, the rod would force the string to unwind the paddlewheel, resulting in a forward propulsion.
The design underwent several tests and changes regarding the type of wood used and the rod length.
Final Design Properties
- Fishing Line for frictionless unraveling under wet conditions
- Triangular mousetrap frame to focus the force on the center
- Styrofoam body for buoyancy coated with rubber coating to prevent water absorption
- Acrylic axle holders for less friction
- Fins beneath boat body for maintaining forward trajectory
Complete Report
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