Description:
This is a building event. Prior to the competition teams will build a vehicle powered only by electricity that is capable of traveling down a straight track whose distance will not be announced until after all vehicles have been impounded. The vehicle must be designed to be adjusted so that it will stop as close to the finish line as possible. Minimum and maximum dimensions and voltage requirements are outlined clearly in the official rules. Teams will have 10 minutes to attempt up to 2 runs. THIS IS AN IMPOUND EVENT.
Materials:
Teams must bring their vehicle and any tools required to calibrate it.
Event Leaders will provide the track, track distance (to be announced after impound), the official scoresheet, and tape measures/stopwatches etc. required to test the vehicles.
Scoring:
High score wins, using the score from whichever run gives the team the best rank. There are 4 components which are added to give the total run score: Distance score (calculated from the difference between actual and ideal distance traveled), Time score (calculated from the difference in predicted and actual travel time), Finish Line score (additional points added for finishing within 40cm of the finish line), and Center Line Bonus (10 pts if the vehicle does not stray from the center line while traveling). An additional Electronic Component bonus can also be earned.
Common Mistakes:
Be careful not to exceed the maximum allowed voltage. Many teams were disqualified in 2008 because of this.
