Gas Pedal

Overview

Vision

Background Information

In MSXI, there were numerous deficiencies with the driver controls. In particular, MSXII used a paddle on the steering wheel as the accelerator which made it difficult to control the car while cornering. This also became a problem because the steering ergonomics were not well modelled prior to installation and there was little clearance between the wheel and the roll cage. 

Goal

Design, build and test a gas pedal. The intent is that this pedal will be used on MSXII, but it should be versatile enough to be used on any solar car.  Work with the electrical team to develop a way to communicate the throttle input signal to the driver controls system (rotary potentiometer or other...). 

Project Requirements

Rayce Regulations

These are requirements driven by the Rayce regulations. 

• Carefully look through regulations for WSC/ASC and find out if anything applies to this project. 

Internal Requirements

These are requirements driven by Midnight Sun. 

• Work closely with the brake pedal team to ensure that the pedals don't interfere with each other ergonomically. 
• The pedal should be aesthetically appealing but easily manufacturable.
• The pedal must be reliably spring loaded. 
• There must not be any chance of the gas pedal getting stuck at any point during it's stroke.
• Must have an integrated analog sensor to communicate throttle signal to the driver controls system.
• The pedal should be easily mountable on a steel space frame, mounting points on the pedal must be included in the design.  

Soft requirements

These criteria would be nice to have but not critical to the project's success: 

• Fail-safe design features in case of spring failure.  
• Adjustable pedal position for drivers of different sizes. 

Designs

Come up with at least three designs and explain the advantages and disadvantages of each. Include sketches and screenshots of CAD models where applicable.