Team Members: Adam (K), Eros (K), Yzabelle (3rd), and Joseph (5th)
Materials
We started by gathering all the materials needed for the project. Here is a list of the materials used to create our car:
- Wood piece for the base.
- Balsa wood for details of the structure
- Recycled juice box for the main structure. This was glued to the wood base.
- Easter Colors foam to cover the juice box
- Stickers for decoration
- Carton egg pieces to decorate
- Pipe cleaners for the big Bunny ears
- Half styrofoam cup for placing the bunny (passenger) inside
- DC motor
- Batteries
- Color code cables for the circuit
- 4 Wheels, Axle, and straw pieces to help move the car.
- 4 rubber bands to surround the wheels.
- Hot silicon
- A styrofoam column inside the juice box to gives stability
- Velcro to attach the solar panel
- Solar panel
- Small shark in honor of our school.
- Popsicle Sticks
Specifications
L=23 cm W= 14.2 cm H=13 cm
Weight, Car weight 362.8 Grams
Gear specs are 40T:10
Description
Our team had an exciting and challenging time building a solar car for this competition.
Initially, we planned on using a Plastic Bottle for the main structure and cutting it in half to put everything inside, but it was hard to cut it. Also, we were thinking about using a lightweight material for the base, so we thought a piece of egg carton would work. While building it, we noticed the egg carton was very soft, so that it couldn’t hold the wheels and motor. That’s how we ended up using a wooden base and a juice box for the main structure.
We used a recycled juice box securely glued onto the wooden base for the main structure. To give it a playful look, we covered the juice box with Easter colors foam and decorated it with stickers, carton egg pieces, and pipe cleaners for the big bunny ears.
We added a half-styrofoam cup for the bunny passenger and a styrofoam column inside the juice box to ensure stability. We opened two windows on the juice box and covered them with clear plastic from a phone box to keep the car’s stability and protect the bunny from the wind.
We used a DC motor connected to the solar panel (Black and Red Cables) and also added batteries to power the car on cloudy days (Yellow and Green Cables).
We attached four wheels, an axle, straw pieces to help move the car, and four rubber bands surrounding the wheels for better grip on the ground. We changed our design from using two different pairs of wheels to using all large wheels to ensure maximum performance during the displacement, whether the car runs forward or backward.
Initially, we planned to make the solar panel move toward the sun. Still, we discovered that changing the polarity of the cables could make the motor go backward, enabling us to change the car’s direction without having to move the solar panel.
We used hot silicon to attach a small shark in honor of our school.
Finally, we used velcro over craft popsicle sticks to attach the solar panel to the car. That way, we could ensure it resisted movement while running and received enough energy from the sun.
Testing
Final Video
Building a solar car was a challenging but fun experience for our team. We learned much about the materials and how to apply them to create a functional and appealing car. Thank You!
Wow good job kids!
This team did a great job working on your solar car. Trying different materials to get the results that you were wanting is key.
And as an Electrical Engineer, I appreciate that you used the method of switching the motor wires to enable your car to adapt to the changing location of the sun. Way to go!
Hello everyone, thank you so much for supporting us, and I really appreciate your comments.
Thank you Ms. Trujillo for all your help and support. I really enjoyed this new learning experience and look forward to many more.
I’m so happy that we got first and second place!
wow, good job kiddos. so proud of you Daena. 😍
Thank you everyone for all your support and lovely comments about the Space Ranger Bunny team. We are grateful also to Ms. Trujillo who gave us this opportunity and helped us to learn.
Good job guys, it goes very fast and what impressed me the most is how you managed to make it go from being a drawing to reality…. I congratulate you
Excellent job for such a young age, keep it up. Congratulations 84Space Rangers and to OSCS.
Awesome job guys!
Good job kids ! Future scientists !
Great Job! Awesome Solar Car made out of recycled orange juice box. 👍
Trabajando en equipo con armonía y entusiasmo. Felicitaciones!
Amazing job, students! So cool! Your worked hard, learned a lot, and it shows!
So proud of everyone involved! Not only were you innovative in the design when thinking of its movement (+ adding batteries for cloudy days), but your creativity shine through! Perfect for the season. Perfect opportunity to get into engineering. Great job everyone!!!
Wow, watching that sketch come to life is so awesome!! You did an incredible job!!
Amazing job, the car is super cool!!!
Great Job! This is an inspiring and creative project. Keep up the good work and you deserve to win.
Great Job Guys! You did awesome
Great work! Way to go kinder kids!
Mrs. Walter
Mrs. Smith, 4th Grade class, says it’s a super cool car. Great explanation of how the motors work and how the car moved. Way to Go OSCS!!!!!
Middle School students agree that they did an amazing job! And that its a “W” quoted by fellow Middle Schoolers.
Great Job Everyone !
The Space Rangers made a creative and amazing, easter-themed solar car. The teamwork was outstanding from different grade levels. They learned a lot about how the motor works (forward and reverse motion) resulting in an awesome solar car. I love the idea of color coded wires for the connection with the solar panel different from the battery. Ready- Set – Go Sharks! Go Space Rangers!
This is an excellent product for your first time competing in the Junior Solar Sprint. My favorite part of this project/team was when you discovered the motor and how it worked. Not only did you learn that it produces heat energy when it is ran A LOT but also how to create a switch with the motor and make it go forward or backward based on where the sun is located. I cannot wait to see it in action in Cocoa!
A solar car!!! Awesome, I love it
Great teamwork. You have brilliant minds. Keep it up; your project deserves to win!