Try this next
Test the same number of bands with a lighter chassis to separate band count from car mass.
Elastic Band Car Redesign Using Community Insights
Other groups noticed something you missed. Can their insight help you build a better car?
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Venture In
Wero
Observe
Kite
Infer
Whakaaro
Create
Auaha
Evaluate
Tohu
Evidence you will build
- Before/after dataset comparison
- Energy flow diagram
- Redesign brief with evidence justification
- Energy efficiency calculation
Why this matters
Community insights turn individual car trials into collective design knowledge — when students apply others' evidence carefully.
What you will investigate and collect
You will read approved community insights from the Elastic Band Car theme and use them to design and test a second-version car. Whether one carefully chosen design change — informed by what other groups found — actually improves your car. Before-and-after trial data, your design rationale, and a note on which community insight you used.
- Date and time
- Version (v1 / v2)
- Trial number
- Distance travelled (m)
What you might make or share
- Redesigned chassis3D print
Lighter or stronger car frame based on distance data
Your best distance run tells you what mass and shape to aim for.
- Launch guideLaser cut
Consistent release mechanism to reduce trial variation
If your results vary a lot between trials, a consistent launch guide could help.
- Wheel spacer3D print
Change wheel alignment or friction based on steering data
If your car drifted during testing, a wheel spacer targets that variable.
What other investigators found
Try this next
Measure the same car on two surfaces with identical elastic band setup before changing anything else.
What you will investigate
You will read approved community insights from the Elastic Band Car theme and use them to design and test a second-version car.
What you will collect
Date and time, Version (v1 / v2)
What you might make or share
A revised car, a printed spacer or wheel