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 | KSR Kinetic Conveyance “But Will It Float?”
This contraption has to convey your bodies, your sculpture, your drinks, and your vision of
creativity across water, prairie, maybe mud, roads, and through (and sometimes over)
spectators/news reporters. So consider the following: |
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| KSR Floatation
Calculate the total weight you will be carrying and use sufficient floatation to carry twice that amount. Example-vehicle weighs 350 lbs., carries 3 people averaging 160 lbs., sculpture weighs
75 lbs. - this totals 905 x 2 = 1810.You want to displace 1810/ 62.4 (the density of water) = 29 cubic feet of water. So, your floatation might be Styrofoam measuring 10 feet by 3 feet by 1 foot. Floatation devices typically used: canoes/kayaks - boring but recoverable for other use and simple Styrofoam bats/billets - heavy but comes in multiple shapes but hard to attach to open core pontoons. Make your own to fit your sculpture. AFP - Advance Foam Plastics, Inc. is a great to get materials that help a craft float. They’re located at 5250 North Sherman Street in Denver.
A local source for canoes is the Boulder Outdoor Center. |
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| KSR Water Propulsion
Simple is many times better - don’t want to get stranded out in the rez. Many teams use paddles or oars. This works and you can be fairly quick on the water. The problem is with coordinated paddling. Many teams zigzag across the water. The race is crazy and adrenaline is rampant. Also, you don’t get many engineering points for using paddle/ oars. Another problem is upper body strength. I’ve seen teams that are physically spent after the first water leg after paddling for 30 minutes. The other option is a driven paddle wheel or propeller. The paddle wheel seems simple to apply but becomes difficult to make efficient. Trial and error is required during the design process. A propeller is quicker in the water, aesthetically pleasing, but requires a more robust drive train, Several people peddling a drive train can generate too much torque that pulls gears apart.
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| KSR Land Propulsion
Again, simple is better. Since the race course does not have any wide open roads, a land drive is not necessary nor does it provide much of an advantage. Many teams simply push or carry (arrf) their contraptions. However, if your craft is sturdy enough to carry people on land and you opt for a powered water conveyance, adding land propulsion is a consideration. The problem is making your device robust enough to carry the extra human/drinks weight under all the dynamic loading experience while hitting prairie holes. If everybody is off pushing, you don’t have to design for the availability for people to have hand holds for lifting and pushing. |
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| KSR Sculpture
Your vehicle carries your creative ideas via the sculpture, which is attached (hopefully) to your vehicle. So, design with attachment locations for current and future sculptures. Also consider that your sculpture cannot be much longer that your vehicle. If you use a canoe, you will probably be using a 2 dimensional sculpture. If you opt for a boat or catamaran, you can attach a 3 dimensional sculpture. |
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| KRS Material and Connections
Lighter is better because this thing is going to be with you for over an hour on the race. Consider aluminum rather than steel, angles/tubes rather than solid sections, minimize the use of wood. Bolt or weld if you have the capability but have a professional welder do the welding especially with aluminum. Design your connections as if you were hitting a curb and predict where things will want to move. Two or three bolts along a line will still be there after the race. |
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| KSR Wheels
Don’t use regular bike wheels. They turn into Pringles during the race. Use BMX or mountain bike wheels. Design such that you don’t drag the wheels through the water if possible. It is amazing how much faster you are with the wheels out of the water. Of course this adds to the complexity and excitement during the race, but overall you will be more pleased and faster. |
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| KSR Vehicle Design
It takes several years of racing to figure out the “perfect” vehicle. Envision what your perfect vehicle will look like and give yourself three years to get there. For example, say you want a prop-powered catamaran built out of canoes Start with one paddled canoe this year, add the second canoe the next, and then add your propeller the third year. By then, you will know exactly what to bribe the Wizard with (try raspberry chocolate treats) and you will achieve Kinetic Bliss. Note that none of these designs incorporate a keel. Consequently, tall or bulky sculptures require a broad base. Otherwise, expect to get wet ! |
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| KSR Canoe Designs
At least add carrying handles. Canoes are boring unless you jazz them up with a wheel at the rear or two wheels near the middle. Some teams attach the wheels in the middle and then flip the canoe over on land. This gets the wheels out of the water but does not allow for much of a sculpture. Canoes offer a good way to get started because you can typically find a used one fairly cheap or make it so that it is reclaimable after the race. |
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| KSR Catamaran Designs
Good and stable and allows for a 3 dimensional sculpture design but its more expensive and time consuming. Must consider how to attach floatation to superstructure without destroying your floatation. Also, longer/slimmer pontoons are better than short/ fat ones. |
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| KSR Boat Designs
Boat Designs
Stay away from wide, flat floatation designs. Although barges are easy to build, they are very slow in the water. Consider a narrower, longer craft. This is faster and allows for more people and easier access on and off. Boats are fun because you can do so much with them. You can attach many different types of sculptures on, in , or around them. The problem is cost, time, and making it amphibious. |
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| KSR Time and Money
Time and Money
If you don’t have time to build and test a complex vehicle, you can purchase one. Many vehicles are retired and can probably be purchased or rented fairly cheap once you listen to all the sentimental value and postmortem. If you don’t acquire, then start with a canoe or get ahold of some Styrofoam shapes (check the Yellow Pages under foam or insulation). Or if you are handy with fiberglass, design your own pontoons or boat. For this year, just get something that will float and stick some wheels on it. You can improve it over time and amaze the judges the next year |
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