Windshield Viper

Event Year: 2023
Event Location: Virtual
Competition: Junior Solar Sprint
Division: 7-8 (JSS Blue)
School: Cornerstone Learning Community
Team Size: 3

Amery, Kai, and John

Junior Solar Sprint- Blue Division

Hello! Our team is from Cornerstone Learning Community Tallahassee, FL! Our group includes:

Amery Keller, 8th grade, as the head Graphic and Visual Arts Director (2nd year)

John Marty, 8th grade, as the Constructive Mechanical Engineer (1st year)

Kai Okui, 7th grade, as the Logic and Creative Mechanical Designer (1st year)

(left) Amery, (center) John, (right) Kai

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Photo and Basic Info

Our car is inspired by the red African Bush Viper. We designed our car with the red, spiked scales of this specific snake. We used alcohol markers and gold paint to add more highlights to our car. We have a mechanism that allows us to move our solar panel lower or higher depending on the sun’s placement in the sky. (The two triangular metal pieces shown above is the prototype version of the final mechanism).

African Bush Viper
The Windshield Viper

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Car Details

Our car has these components:

  • Wheels x5
  • Battery Pack x1
  • Motor x1
  • Metal pieces x6
  • Bolts x2 Bolt Nuts x2
  • Rubber band seatbelt x1
  • Soloar panel x1
  • String Spring
  • rubber band (on the wheels) x5
  • paint
  • pizzazz x100%

Measurements:

Length: 25 1/2 cm

Hight: 8 cm

Width: 11 cm

Hight with Solar Panel: 15 cm

Weight: 306.37 g

Gear Ratio: 30:40

Front wheels: 1 1/2 cm

Back wheels: 1 1/2 cm

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Car Pictures

Front of car

Front of car

Back of car

Back of car

Right of car

Right of car

Left of car

Left of car

Top of car

Top of car

Underbelly of car

Underbelly of car

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Design Process

Our design process has been a wild one! Here we have the design log for the first 7 weeks for our solar car. Unfortunately, we could only log the first 7 weeks, but we ended up with a finished car that ran well!

DateTime SpentActivities
December 2, 20221 hourWe came up with the design for the car’s frame and chassis.

December 16, 2022
1 hourWe secured the chassis and built the frame.
January 6, 20231 hourWe used around ideas of the tilting of the solar panel.
January 13, 20231 hourAdded the back wheels and refined the motor position and added “Canada” to the bottom of the car. Irrelevant, but entertaining.
January 20, 20231 hourWe added the battery pack.
January 27, 20231 hourWe finally got around to implementing the tilting of the solar panel. We primed the car for painting with white paint.
February 3, 20231 hour 10 minWe started painting snake scales on the car, with alcohol markers and paint. We ended up finishing today.
February 10, 20231 hourWe had to change our one wheel drive to three, because the drive was too weak.
The design log for the first 7 weeks
Transforming Sketches
Transforming Drafts

Here we have our transforming drafts for our car concept. We worked one class period on drafting, then we got to work building our frame for our chassis.

Car sketches

After our sketches were done, we started making our car and designing it.

(Post image of pre-paint car + pictures of process work here)

Sketches for painting

Car Performance Video ________________________

Video of car running

Car Explanation Video

Car Performance Video

Thank you so much for taking the time to review our website! It means a lot and we are ever so grateful!

-Sincerely, The Vipers

8 thoughts on “Windshield Viper

  • Your design drawings were excellent. I loved the theme of your solar car and its spiked scales like the African Bush Viper. I would like to see this car run at EnergyWhiz in-person. Great team work.

    Reply
  • Clever play on words for the title. Interesting design with the 3 wheels in the rear and V -split in chassis. I would like to see this one race in person!

    Reply
  • Love the job titles! Great job. This is very detailed!

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  • Really cool car. The V shape and 3 rear wheels are unique, as well as the solar panel support. Great job!

    Reply
  • Very innovative design. I don’t think I’ve seen a car with three drive wheels before. I would love to see it run on a guide wire on a smooth track to see how fast it can get. It probably has very good low end acceleration. Also, you documentation was excellent.

    Reply
  • 👌 👏 😍 great job team !!!
    Lovethe design

    Reply
  • Really nice work. Very creative design and execution. The adjustable solar panel is very innovative and well executed. Additionally, loved the extra enthusiasm of “Pizzazz x 100%.” Good luck in all stages of the competition. We’ll be pulling for y’all.

    Reply
  • I enjoyed seeing the engineering and artistic design elements in your solar car. Good luck!

    Reply

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