this will be my first blog I have ever written so please excuse the mistakes. I am expected to work with two others on improving the track for the Spartan Superway. Since I have yet to meet the team or see the project, it is difficult for me to begin assessing what would be good to improve. I do not have much experience with tracks, but am eager to learn.
Looking at the previous team's report, it seemed to me that they were attempting to create a replicable modular design readily available for mass production. However, after careful inspection that is not the case. When looking at their design, I see that they created four loops that are interconnected as can be seen below. The problem with this particular design is the fact that the team did not account for mass production in which the stations on the outside will collide with another four-loop track. So instead, a better idea would be to move the stations to the inside so that it would be modular and repeatable.
Currently, the support is made up of a square inch steel tube that is three feet tall. The setup seems justified for now and quite frankly, sufficient. Thus, there is no urgency to change the material or the layout of supports, but of course, if it becomes necessary, we will do so. Also, according to the report, the bends of the track were off and so the bogie would get snagged or fall off of the track. Afterward, though, they managed to fix some bends and create a track that was smooth enough for the bogie to run autonomously. That team also mentioned that their track was easy to disassemble and reassemble so that one could easily bring the track to events. But from first glance, it seems that there may be a design that is more efficient at being disassembled and reassembled. I imagine there is a way to create a more easily assembled track with simply five unique pieces (the curvature, the two stations, the shorter path, and the loop connecting piece). The design I have in mind has not taken physical form yet, but I imagine that the method in which these pieces connect will allow room for environment-dependent pieces to fit right into the jigsaw puzzle.
Franklin Kha
