Summary Page for Individual Report

Author: Ben Miller	Team: Solar Car

Problem Statement:

The Solar Car team was divided into two main groups. One group would focus on the interior of the car and the other group would focus on the exterior. As part of the interior group, my task was to create a cockpit that supported our driver and met guidelines set forth by the “Solar Car Challenge” competition. Amongst other things, I had to create a seat bracket that could accommodate the driver comfortably to allow for a lengthy drive time.

Primary concerns in the design and development of the seat bracket were adjustability, comfort, strength, weight, spatial limitations, ease of manufacture, and adherence to contest rules.

Summary of Approach:

The frame of the solar car had already been manufactured by a previous team. Significant modifications were not an option due to time constraints. This being the case, the cockpit had to be designed into an extremely confined space.

The first step I took in designing the seat bracket was to take measurements of the existing frame. Our driver sat on a board that was set across the frame so I could visualize the posture of the driver while driving. Based on this non-technical analysis, I developed a general idea of how the seat and bracket should be shaped. With weight being a limiting factor, a seat with minimal material was the most desirable. At this point I began to sketch possible ideas for seat design, corresponding bracket design and materials. The best ideas were selected but, as assembly of the car progressed, modifications to the prototype designs (and even the “final” design) needed to be made in order to accommodate the driver and components that affect the cockpit area.

Summary of Results:

Ergonomic evaluations were performed and, due to the confined cockpit space afforded by the existing frame, I found that size was the most important facet of the seat and bracket. I was forced to re-evaluate my designs and a simple, adjustable design that would require a weld was adopted.

Lessons Learned:

1. How to adapt components to accommodate prioritized design elements.

2. How to incorporate ergonomic analyses into the design selection process