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The Go-Kart engineering S.T.E.A.M. project was part of our wide-ranging enrichment opportunities offered to students. The project started in January 2019 and ran over the course of 2 years with groups of up to 10 students taking part in various phases, bringing the Go-Kart to completion. In total, over 32 students contributed their time and energy into the build until its final completion in June 2021.
The completed Go-Kart is a proto-type consisting of dual-seating, dual-steering and dual-pedal control systems, enabling driving experiences and instruction to be given in as safe a manner as possible. As a proto-type, the Go-Kart obviously needed checking, modifying and improving to maintain and enhance the driving experience. The Go-Kart has 4-point safety seat belts for both drivers, and a fire extinguisher as an added safety feature.
The Go-Kart engineering project was a led by Dr. Karl Emmerton, but it was a team, including both of our Science Technicians, Ava Zhang and Billy Zheng, who supported students to complete this amazing project!
Phase 1: Establishing the workshop and designing and building the Go-Kart’s main frame.
Phase 2: Designing pedalling and steering, and the addition of more intricate frame details.
Phase 3: Designing and fitting the dual accelerator, braking and steering systems.
Phase 4: Protection systems, flooring and painting.
Of course, the final stage in the process was test driving the finished vehicle and so, alongside Dr Emmerton in the dual-control go-kart, some very lucky engineers got the thrill of driving the go-kart past a set of very excited secondary students on the football pitch - two years of hard work, paying off amazingly!
Sadly, not all of those who took part were able to witness the final drive as many of the A-level students who’d begun the project have since go on to university. In many cases, these students have gone on to study science or engineering and often with this Engineering Project inspiring their choices and forming part of their application – the very reason we offer such an ‘enriching’ education at BSN!