Hamster Wheel Car
This project was created for a high school club called Odyssey of the Mind. Each team had 7 members and the club emphasized creative problem solving. The task was to create a vehicle capable of carrying two people through a series of obstacles. There was also a size constraint on the entire length and width of the vehicle. Using something like a motor would only give points for functionality since there it is a standard use case.
Since there was no height limit on the vehicle, we decided to create a human size hamster wheel for someone to sit in and power the car. There would be another person underneath steering. This car was then used in an 8-minute skit with alongside other props and backdrops. I worked on the design and construction of the car along with prop development, which included sparking swords and a self stopping "curling puck." Everything was on a budget of around $150 and many parts were used.
Construction
The car is made predominately out of 2x4s and parts from previous projects. All pieces of the frame were cut by hand or power tool. The hamster wheel is held up by two wooden posts with a steel axle going through it. Their are sprockets on the each side of the wheel that direct drive the back wheels. The steering column was designed to support steering with someone facing the front of leaning towards the back. One person can climb inside the wheel and rest their back on the seat hanging from the steel bar while the other lays below to steer.
The size limitations were 3' x 5' for the width and length respectively. This entire project was completed over the course of 5 months while in high school.
