SKILLS REQUIRED
SolidWorks
Dynamics
Programming
General Workshop
SUMMARY: Designed and built two mini-hovercraft: one Radio-Controlled (RC) hovercraft and one autonomous hovercraft
DESCRIPTION:
The project was split into two separate projects/quarters: the first was a small, RC hovercraft and the second was a small, autonomous hovercraft. The goal for each hovercraft was to complete an obstacle course. The overall objective of the split course was to introduce students into how to design vehicles and the controls necessary to pilot them and translate that design into a physical object. For many engineers, this was their first intro into using different manufacturing techniques such as lathing, electrical soldering, etc).
For both projects, the main components/materials consisted of a foam base, a wooden platform that sits on top of the foam, a central levitating fan, two steering fans, and various electrical systems. For the RC hovercraft, those various systems included power systems and an RC receiver. For the autonomous hovercraft, the RC receiver was substituted for an Arduino micro-controller board with a magnetometer (which can be summarized as a local GPS device).