Racer

Racer

This is RACER! He's made up of a microcassette mechanism, a VCR pinch roller, a piece of house wiring, and a 1381 Miller SE.

Racer (top view)

Looks like he's mostly solar panel huh. That's because Racer needs all the energy he can collect to make him take big runs. He usually charges for about 45 seconds and then sprints forward about 12 inches. Notice the careful balance of Racer. The front wheel is what really makes him stable.

Racer (left side)

In this photo, you can see the solar panel is mounted using servo tape. Read more about this mounting method in my Techniques section. Notice the house wiring that attatches the front wheel. I've been slowly nibbling away all the extra wiring hanging in the basement. I have to be careful not to cut a live wire! Eventually, I'll probably use all the wiring in the whole house and then have to move.

Racer (right side)

In this photo, you can see the Miller engine. This is a very efficient Solar Engine design which is based on the 1381 voltage detector. Racer uses a 1381J trigger, a .047F main cap, a 3.3uF timing cap, and a 34x33 solar panel. He only cost about $8.00 to build and most of the expense was the solar panel. For information on the Miller Engine, see my Circuits section or visit the Solarbotics library.