La Fatigue

Science Olympiad is starting to take up some real time. All I got done today was a set of theoretical ideas about my mousetrap vehicle. Last minute event assignment, but there it is. My mission is to make a car with specific dimensions, and that is powered by not more than two mousetraps. The car must be able to go out 7 meters and then return 7 meters to the starting line with no external interference.

The basic design so far involves two mousetraps on a low-density mount, such as plywood with holes, with 4 wheels and 1/4 inch threaded rods for axles. The wheels, which will be something light such as CDs or more plywood, will rest on the axle and will contain "gears," which will be made of something like Styrofoam to allow for more torque and efficient use of the mousetrap's power. By harnessing more of the power, more speed becomes possible, which at invitationals and regional competitions is not very important, but becomes critical at state and nationals.

The idea is that as one mousetrap is set and released manually, pulling a cord attached to the "gears" that turn the axle. Since the axle is threaded, a bar with a threaded hole can be screwed on and will move with every turn of the rod, sliding it across the axle. This will be used to trigger a second mousetrap that will send the car back to the starting line. By calculating the ratio between the circumference of the wheels and the number of threads per cm on the rod, I will be able to calculate how far the bar needs to move along the rod, and therefore where to place it initially.

It's a rough design so far, but I'm hoping for the best. I'll post a picture when I have a prototype.

Draft: