Rationale (Individual)

Useful (Individual)

            Propulsion

The final design that I have selected for the method of propulsion is the system with one motor that moves the rear wheels.  The wheels will be thin in width to reduce the surface area that comes into contact with the ground.  The tires will be inflated and made of rubber to provide the most traction with the little surface area available.  With the universal joint system and the shock absorbers, the vehicle should be able to travel across just about any kind of terrain. 

           

            Electrical Component

As mentioned in the abstract, the wiring system will come with the Vex kit that we will be receiving, so there is no need for designing a new system.  Even though a new system is not being made specifically for this vehicle, the wiring system provided by Vex will be able to support all of the functions promised from the vehicle.  No function requires anything that cannot be obtained from the robotics kit. 

            Body

In addition to the wiring system, the body will be provided by the Vex robotics system.  The overall shape of the body will be a rectangle and will consist of the only the parts necessary to attach the other components of the vehicle so as to reduce the weight of the vehicle. 

Usable (Individual)

As per the specifications, all of the components will easily detach from the vehicle (detached by the user, not while the vehicle is operating).  Nothing will be a permanent structure that cannot be changed.  Our design is able to be easily customized.  In this way, users can repair parts easily should they become damaged as well as add their own components to the vehicle without having to rearrange everything currently attached to the vehicle.

Desirable (Individual)

The robot will be made to look less intrusive and camouflaged in the environment it will be exploring.  So, aesthetics are an important part of this project.  The robot will have several colors.  It will be primarily sand colored and have touches of light green.  These colors will allow the robot to blend with the plants and sand found in a dune ecosystem.  To make the entire robot waterproof, the circuitry will be covered with a plastic, dome shaped cover.  This will also shade the motors from overexposure to the sun, which could cause overheating.  The appearance of the robot will not only be aesthetically pleasing, but also vital if the robot is going to assimilate into the dune environment.

Producible/Profitable (Individual)

As stated in the overall rationale, this design is not intended to be mass produced.  If it were, it would come as a kit, similar to what my group will be receiving to start.  A few extra components such as a camera and parts for a claw will be included, but everything else will be left up to the user.  There are too many options and functions available to have everything come in one kit.  This away, the user can customize their vehicle and not be required to buy extra, unnecessary parts. 

Differentiated (Individual)

For the method of propulsion, a system is not being invented or innovated.  I am merely adapting two existing systems for this vehicle.  As a result, the method of propulsion is nothing new.  However, the point of the vehicle is not to create a new way of moving a vehicle from Point A to Point B.  The electrical components and the body of the design also come from parts that can be bought online.  The main differentiation of this design comes from its purpose.  As stated in the overall rationale, nothing on the market is similar to the design of this vehicle.  Obviously dune buggies and research vessels exist, but nothing is in existence that combines the two for dune research.