Score Discussion

[PM2017]

Here's a run from the Ukiah Invitational scoring approx. 15, distance 1.5 m running Regional Rules ...

http://www.lmsal.com/pub/markn/ukiah.mov

Hey, I just saw this now! I saw those two proctors at BARSO yesterday; they were there for my trial. I have a quick question regarding your vehicle. How were you able to get your lever arm to start going forward to slow down the car while it approaches the CTP? Like for my vehicle, my mousetraps are in the front, and the lever arm always goes forward regardless of the direction I wind the string. Did you use a pulley system or something to get your lever arm to start going in the opposite direction? Thank you so much!

that's the string winding back onto the axle because the car has momentum. It'll pull the lever arm back with it too.

wait how do you do that though?
Or is it just that the torque from the arm isn't enough to cause it to suddenly reverse?

[shrewdPanther46]

yea insufficient torque.... its very inefficient

[4Head]

Hey, I just saw this now! I saw those two proctors at BARSO yesterday; they were there for my trial. I have a quick question regarding your vehicle. How were you able to get your lever arm to start going forward to slow down the car while it approaches the CTP? Like for my vehicle, my mousetraps are in the front, and the lever arm always goes forward regardless of the direction I wind the string. Did you use a pulley system or something to get your lever arm to start going in the opposite direction? Thank you so much!

that's the string winding back onto the axle because the car has momentum. It'll pull the lever arm back with it too.

wait how do you do that though?
Or is it just that the torque from the arm isn't enough to cause it to suddenly reverse?

Yeah that’s an easier explanation

[petal]

yea insufficient torque.... its very inefficient

How do you increase the torque?

[PM2017]

yea insufficient torque.... its very inefficient

Well, it spreads the impulse out over a longer period of time, so there's less sudden joltiness.

[as1092]

yea insufficient torque.... its very inefficient

Well, it spreads the impulse out over a longer period of time, so there's less sudden joltiness.

How do you make sure the impulse spreads over a longer time period? My MTV rn got a score of 48.4 and second at the regional tournament, but the jolt that comes with the sudden slow down as it approaches the CTP causes the cup to move a few more centimeters in front of the CTP, thus increasing our score by quite a bit since that is multiplied by two.

[mnoga]

yea insufficient torque.... its very inefficient

Well, it spreads the impulse out over a longer period of time, so there's less sudden joltiness.

How do you make sure the impulse spreads over a longer time period? My MTV rn got a score of 48.4 and second at the regional tournament, but the jolt that comes with the sudden slow down as it approaches the CTP causes the cup to move a few more centimeters in front of the CTP, thus increasing our score by quite a bit since that is multiplied by two.

You control forward travel towards the CTP by number of windings on your axel. Let's say you always wind exactly the same way and you lock-in (set your mousetraps) with your drive wheels in a state of equilibrium. Let's say, for the sake of argument, that causes your car to push the cup 8.1 meters, or 10 cm past the CTP point. How would you adjust? One way would be to add slack to your winding by rotating the drive wheels a quarter, one-third, half turn, etc. That is, whatever it takes to prevent that last 10 cm of travel. Obviously this depends upon the circumference of your wheels.

[mnoga]

Here's a run from the Ukiah Invitational scoring approx. 15, distance 1.5 m running Regional Rules,

Cup covers the CTP, MTV backs up about 3.5cm from VTP, run time around 11.5 sec. ...

http://www.lmsal.com/pub/markn/ukiah.mov

At the Santa Clara Valley Regional (Silicon Valley) today the car in the Ukiah movie scored 11.5 on a 1.2 run distance. Specifics: cup covered the CTP, 0.7cm from the VTP, and 10.8 sec run time. Floor was wood but hadn't been refinished in several years. Fortunately the supervisor set up the track so the floor board seams (or edges) were parallel to the run direction.

[as1092]

Here's a run from the Ukiah Invitational scoring approx. 15, distance 1.5 m running Regional Rules,

Cup covers the CTP, MTV backs up about 3.5cm from VTP, run time around 11.5 sec. ...

http://www.lmsal.com/pub/markn/ukiah.mov

At the Santa Clara Valley Regional (Silicon Valley) today the car in the Ukiah movie scored 11.5 on a 1.2 run distance. Specifics: cup covered the CTP, 0.7cm from the VTP, and 10.8 sec run time. Floor was wood but hadn't been refinished in several years. Fortunately the supervisor set up the track so the floor board seams (or edges) were parallel to the run direction.

OMG. I looked at their ranking, and their team got third place with a score of 11.5. How did both of Mira Loma's teams beat that LOL

[mnoga]

At the Santa Clara Valley Regional (Silicon Valley) today the car in the Ukiah movie scored 11.5 on a 1.2 run distance. Specifics: cup covered the CTP, 0.7cm from the VTP, and 10.8 sec run time. Floor was wood but hadn't been refinished in several years. Fortunately the supervisor set up the track so the floor board seams (or edges) were parallel to the run direction.

OMG. I looked at their ranking, and their team got third place with a score of 11.5. How did both of Mira Loma's teams beat that LOL

Mira Loma did not compete at the Silcon Valley Regional, the 11.5 car was Mountain View Black's vehicle. Mountain View Gold scored slightly below 20 (2nd place), and Palo Alto Green (3rd) scored around 45 (rough guess).

The NorCal State Competition will be run on a rough tile floor, so the potential showdown between Mira Loma, Mountain View, and Albany (the three teams with probably the best vehicles), may be somewhat unpredictable.