PLAYER Final Design
Hovercraft
Our final hovercraft design followed our earlier prototypes fairly closely. We used a rigid skirt made of foamcore in order to hover, with a wooden skid-plate on the bottom for added structural rigidity and protection against floor anomalies. The 2 main layers of the hovercraft structure were cut from 1/8" thick birch plywood, and our large fan guards are made of red acrylic.
Simple foam bumpers protected our craft from collisions, and red LED strips lit up our perimeter on the field so we could play soccer in style.
For a video of the hovercraft, please refer to the Media page.
Simple foam bumpers protected our craft from collisions, and red LED strips lit up our perimeter on the field so we could play soccer in style.
For a video of the hovercraft, please refer to the Media page.
Propulsion
We steered and drove our hovercraft around using 2 small gearhead DC motors with pusher props attached. These motors were then mounted up high in our custom 3D printed motor mounts. A plastic cage (see photos) surrounded both propellers to prevent injuries and damage to other hovercraft.
Kicker
Energy Level Indicator
The energy level display consisted of a simple needle attached to a servo which would rotate 180 degrees to display a spectrum of levels. This red needle sat behind a lighted display, which was always lit.