1989 ASME RSC

Scenario:

A friend or yours is taken captive in another country.

After some investigation you discover that your friend is being held in a heavily guarded compound. Each day the hostages are allowed to walk around the inner courtyard for one hour. Sensor guided lasers shoot at anything that crosses the compound boundaries or air space. Should you decide to take this mission. you are to construct a vehicle capable or freeing your friend from the compound during the courtyard walks.

From the reconnaissance report, it is evident that the vehicle must climb a sandy hill at the end of its journey. The danger necessitates using an auto-pilot Your job is to design the vehicle to pick up your friend then meet you to travel to a secret location. An escape helicopter will then rendezvous with you and your friend.

Problem Statement:

Design a vehicle to travel accurately and quickly through an obstacle course composed of two parts; one part being a flat horizontal wooden surface and the other an upwardly inclined sand pit at an angle of 20 degrees. Prizes will be awarded to the winner of each pan of the contest, and for the best combined score.

The race begins one foot beyond the starting line. The vehicle must travel horizontally for a distance of eight feet in the shortest amount of time.

Part 2 - ACCURACY:

Immediately after part 1, the vehicle must travel a distance or two additional feet and come to a complete stop for a period of time sufficient for the judges to assess the vehicle position then continue through the course. Vehicles stopped for longer than 30 seconds wilt be considered dead and will be removed from the track.

Part 3 - DISTANCE:

After the vehicle travels thirteen feet from the starting line, it enters the sand pit (masonry sand will be used). It must climb up the sand as far possible. Maximum points for this portion will be awarded to the vehicles which travel to the highest point on the incline.

Rules:

The infraction of any rule will result in vehicle disqualification.

1. The vehicles must fit entirely in a box with inner dimensions of nine inches by eight inches by eight inches.
2. The condition of the test track surface cannot be altered in any way. The sand on the inclined surface will be smoothed between each heat
3. Each vehicle will he given at least one test run.
4. The choice of the vehicle's power supply will be left to the participants. The power storage unit must be contained within the vehicle. No battery operated or combustion powered vehicles will be allowed. Pressurized power storage units will be inspected for safe operation by the Judges. All power conversion and storage devices are considered part of the vehicle.
5. After the vehicle has left the starting line, it cannot be manipulated in any way by the participants.
6. The vehicle must remain within the track boundaries at all times.
7. Vehicles attempting all three objectives must do so in one run.
8. The vehicle must be self contained (i.e., no wire, cables, ropes, umbilical cords, etc).
9. If the judges decide that the vehicle is unable to continue, it will be removed from the track.

Test:

• The starting line is located one toot behind a laser controlled timer. When the vehicle breaks the beam, the clock starts.
• The clock will stop after the vehicle passes the second beam eight feet away from the first beam and nine feet away from the starting line.
• Both laser beams are parallel to the track and are located 2 inches above the track surface.
• After the vehicle passes the second beam it has two feet to come to a complete stop.
• Stopping accuracy will be judged on two inch intervals around the stop line on the tract
• Maximum points will be awarded for stopping with the front most point Or the vehicle in the eleven foot line.
• Decreasing point values will be given to vehicles stopping in the other intervals.
• After stopping, the vehicle must travel two feet and then enter an eight toot long inclined sand pit Maximum points will he given to the vehicle that travels to the highest point on the incline.

Scoring:

Each part of the test will be worth a total 100 points.

• 300 points Will be the maximum possible point total for the entire test.

Prizes will be awarded for each of the test parts and for the best overall point total

• For the speed portion of the competition, your score will be calculated from equation (1)
• Score = 100 x smallest time for all competitors/your time

For the sand pit climb, the scores will be calculated by the following equation (2)