Flamethrower205

I'll be mounting some expensive stuff onto the rc car I'm making so in case it crashes at 60mph (that's about it's max speed) I don't want this stuff to break. I've been thinking and here's what I came up with. The main body has 2 steel bars running down the right and left side and from each of the 2 steel bars shoot out 3 spikes that go through three holes on a siding of the body (probably aluminum). These steel bars stick out and in the front is a steel square on each end to transfer the shock to the steel bars and also a strong spring (though I doubt that'll help much). What happens is when the car collides with something in front, the 2 steel bars take the hit, while the body still wants to go forward (it'll weigh ~15 pounds). Now, the purpose of these spikes is to tear the siding and effectively slow down the body, and finally the springs stop the shock if the siding doesn't stop it fully. Siding will be very well attached to the body. Here are pictures and a small movie illustrating what I'm trying to say. The 3d doesn't look real b/c I colored each part separatly to make it easier to distinguish.
Click Here

dan1220

My Feedback: (2)

uhhh.....thats confusing!!

dg2b

Good to see that you are coming out with ideas of trying to make you car unbreakable. My thought is that it may not help in your intent but you can try and let us know. You might also want to calculate CG, play with handling setups, etc.

bugged

My Feedback: (1)

I'm building an electric R/C car with the idea of keeping up with the Nitro guys.
my advice is just keep the car light and do what I'm doing: put the cheapest crap electronics in it. your crash device is interesting but at 60MPH, thats about 150MPH (or more!) to an R/C car!

The car looks like a battlebot btw, cool!

HPIRS4-3SS

My Feedback: (2)

what is so exspensive that your putting in?.....you confused me after the first 3 sentences

Flamethrower205

Putting in an infrared/ color camera (hi res) with its own transmitter and everything will be handbuilt, so it'd be a bummer if it broke.

Bugged: I'm really hoping it can withstand that....my friend and I spun a wheel at what'd be equivalent of it going at 100MPH (no load of course, and it was just the wheel) and the tires shoot out hehe.

Unstable

I would make a collapsible bumper out of aluminum and foam instead. its lighter.. probably able to do the job better and the most important is its simpler.
K.I.S.S. is important when it has to work effectivly every time.

volsstd

save all that trubble and ram those electronics in foam.



GreetZ

Ben

packfan88

My Feedback: (2)

that bimper idea is fine, and so is the aluminum/foam crumple zone, but both of those will only help you in the event of a head on collision.
how many times to do you actually hit something head on?

i mean most crashes end up with either a bump from the side and then a barrel roll or a cart wheel. i doubt any of that will help in those type crashes.
if your trying to save you infared camera from damage during a crash, you best bet is to work out somethign that will protect the camera if you drop it. if you can build a small foam lined box and stick it in there im sure it will take less damage than if you built one of those bumpers. jmo g/l

Me+RC=$$$

My Feedback: (1)

Well, if it's going to be 15 pounds, the top speed won't be 60 m.p.h. when your done. I think your best bet would be to do what everyone else said, build a foam box or something, and a big foam bumper with VERY thin aluminum around it. Just an idea.

spadworld

Seriously DITCH the Idea! You're just adding weight to your car and not really assesing the easier simpler idea of foam padding. Don't go overboard with the foam either. On your homebuilt system Use a smaller camera. If you're looking at 15 lbs of camera gear then Go smaller! and lighter. If you have more than one piece involved in the camera system use connections that will pull apart in the event of separation. Just like in airplanes put the battery forward of what you don't want it to break. If you have a front impact the battery can come loose and slam everything in front of it.

Just another reminder you'r system is just adding weight that WILL CAUSE A CRASH due to longer braking distances and higher center of gravity from everything being higher up on the chassis and possible loss of tire contact from suspension flex and chassis bottom out.

Keep it light and keep it simple. AND KEEP YOUR HAIR!

It's a good idea but it belongs on a BattleBot and not a Camera Equipped R/C Car.

Flamethrower205

hehe, thnaks for the ideas. I'll certainly check out the foam idea. I may try out these on a prototype and see what happens.

bugged

My Feedback: (1)

actually battlebots dont have any kind of crash protechtion, LOL.
some Battlebots, the big guys, like 200+ plus pounds, carry cameras. now lets think about this:
the average battlebot has 1/4" thick steel or aluminum (yes thats right!) as armor and go about 10MPH, these things crash into each other constently and the only protechtion for there electronics are a couple cut up mouse pads, or sometimes not even that much! after 3 minutes of smashing, crashing and more, they go on and do it all over again, 97% of the time with the same electronics! the #1 cuase that the 'bots lose is from there master switches either getting torn off or simply turning off, the others being the battery box coming loose from the frame and unplugging, or even more common, having the wheels torn off or the frame bent enough where the wheels can't move.
now, of course the big differince from battlebots are there ALOT heavyer, MUCH slower, have no suspention and dont handle as well as R/C cars. (almost all the bots use tank style steering)

my advice if your still not sure is make up some sort of braking system, like drum brakes on a real car so you can stop real good, keep the car low and light, and if your still paranoid, go with the "crump-o-bumpo" bumper idea.

good luck!