Object:
2
Given a maximum solar cell size of 806.5 mm (1.25 square inches), make a self-starting 150mm (6")
robot dragster to race one meter (3.3 feet) in full sunlight (or 1,000 watts Halogen lighting).
Competitors will race each other down parallel 150mm (6") wide lanes. Fastest to finish, or furthest
traveled in 3 minutes wins.
Competitor Design Parameters: Solaroller
1 - At the start of the race, the competing Solarollers potential energy must be zero (0) volts. To
insure this, Solarollers must have a pair of shorting wires extending from them far enough to reach a
metal shorting bar at the rear of the 150mm (6”) starting square. When these wires contact the
shorting bar, it must clamp all on-board power storage to zero. Solarollers cannot use any other
energy source to motivate them than what they are able to draw from their solar cell. No pre-
tensioned springs, elastics, combustion or compressed energy sources are allowed, though any of
these may be employed in the design so long as it can be proved that they are at a complete state of
rest at the beginning of the run.
2 - Competitors cannot initially exceed the bounds of a 150mm (6”) cube. Competitors may split
apart or change their physical geometry beyond the dimensions of this cube during a run, but a win
will only count when the LAST part of a shape-changing Solaroller has crossed the finish line.
Competitors are not allowed to drop, throw or leave behind any part of their chassis. Competitors
must finish with everything they started with.
3 - Competitors cannot have parts removed or added to them between races with the exception of
replacing broken components necessary to the operation of the vehicle. The replacement parts must
be identical to the part being replaced, and fact of this be shown to the judge.
2
4 - The maximum allowable solar cell surface area cannot exceed 806.5 mm (1.25 square inches). A
24x33mm, solarcell shall be considered the norm, except in the case of using a solar-walker, where
a 37x33mm is considered the norm. Any solar-cell configuration will be considered valid so long as
the effective cell area does not exceed the maximum allowable. Any solarcell not meeting this
requirement will disqualify the device. There is no minimum solar cell size restriction.
Fig 1: Solaroller “Scooter” (Dave Hrynkiw, 1995)
Fig 1: Solaroller “Scooter” (Dave Hrynkiw, 1995)
Build your Device for Competition
The Official Solaroller Race Rules
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