As the final project for my Integrated CAD/CAM design class, we were tasked with making any remote control vehicle - the only catch was that the groups were much smaller than those in previous classes (four students per group as opposed to eight or nine). My group chose to make a 1:8 scale remote control racer with goals of efficiency and simplicity so that we would have no danger of being late on the 4 week idea-to-product timeline.

I chose to design the rear suspension and drivetrain, which required me to optimize the drive ratio given our choice of motor as well as our target speed of 50 mph. With the help of some online forums, I was able to determine a gear ratio of 6.6:1, which I satisfied with belt pulleys ordered from SD/PSI.  In designing the rear suspension, I made a semi-stiff setup that would be reactive at the speeds of travel we estimated, so that a pebble or crack in the pavement would neither bottom the suspension nor flip the car.

I used both my knowledge from Statics and Strength in Materials as well as Solidworks Finite Element Analysis to optimize some components, such as the rear suspension arms and the rear axle, for an optimal compromise between weight and rigidity.

I was able to order and machine all parts from SD/PSI and McMaster Carr. Once we finished with our individual parts, my group members and I assembled the car and took it out for a spin together. While we were afraid to push the true limits of our racer's performance, it performed admirably at the speeds we were comfortable reaching in the limits of the engineering quad. I am excited to drive the car faster outside when I next have the opportunity.