Study Guide: Project: Kinetic Sculpture Vehicle
Design, build and race a Kinetic Sculpture Vehicle.
The Kinetic Grand Championship, Arcada, California
- A Brief History: https://youtu.be/hsKNPp3SfyE
- The 2023 Kinetic Grand Championship Race Start: https://youtu.be/lqT9lNjw7PA
- Fiftieth Kinetic Grand Championship Highlights (Part 1): https://youtu.be/hsKNPp3SfyE
Becoming a Team
- What makes a good team?
- Roles, talents and specialization
- Organization, cooperation, accountability, types of leadership
Planning and Design
- Race track features and vehicle goals
- “Form follows function.” –Louis Sullivan
- Number of pilots
- Limitations: strength, weight, speed, size, width x length x height, stability, buoyancy, traction, maneuverability, artistry, originality, safety, comfort, transporting, testing, repairing, cost…
- Components: chassis, seating, steering, drive train, wheels and axles, pontoons, breaks, safety, art
- Materials: Metal, wood, rubber, plastic, paper mache, cables, wires, paint…
- Tools and equipment
- Construction location, schedule, testing
- Schedule and cost
Buoyancy (Floatation)
- Archimedes Principle
- One cubic foot of water at the surface weighs about 60 pounds (Check this!)
- Flotation Design: Drag, weight, size, shape, stability, safety
- Pontoons: Foam, hollow, inflatable, rolling (huge wheels)
Propulsion
- Physics of force ($F=ma$), work and friction
- Water, sand and road propulsion
- Gears, sprockets and chains, freewheels, levers and torque, drive chains and shafts, pedals and paddles, strength vs. weight
Art
- Original, creative, strong, light-weight… and fun!
Safety
- Force, friction and heat
- Types of breaks: break pads, levers, anchors…
- Life jackets, helmets, shoes, seat belts…
Biographies
- Archimedes
- Louis Sullivan
- Jack Mays, Hobart Brown and Barbara Ludwick
Build your team. Make your vehicle. Create your art. Perform your Pageantry. Try to ACE. Don’t flip over in the bay. Don’t flip over in the sand. Get to Halvorsen Park. Repair the drivetrain. Carry a toothbrush. Remember to smile at the Glorious Spectators... And above all: Have fun!
Kinetic Grand Champion Race, in Arcata, California
Links
- Kinetic Grand Championship, Arcata, CA
How To Kineticsculpture, by Elliot Naess- 2025 Race Rules
- Judging Guidelines
Videos
Source: https://class.ronliskey.com/study/physics-8/kinetic-sculpture-vehicle/