Objective:

  • Each team is to produce one vehicle powered by a mousetrap. The vehicle should travel a distance of 10 meters in the shortest possible time.

    • Apparatus:

  • Each team is responsible for designing and building one mousetrap-powered vehicle prior to the day of the competition. SFASU will provide the timing system.

    • Regulations:

  • A mousetrap spring is to provide the sole source of power for the vehicle. NO other stored energy supplies - including gravitational potential energy - may be released by the spring.
  • The trap used to power the vehicle must be sold commercially as a mousetrap. As such, the trap spring should consist of a steel wire nominally 1.3 mm in diameter wound into a coil nominally 7 mm in diameter with approximately 20 turns.
  • Rat traps, or any other traps with springs differing significantly from that just described, will be disqualified.
  • The mousetrap spring and the portion of the trap board to which the spring is attached may not be altered in any way. The trap restraining arm and other portions of the board may be modified. In no case should the spring move through an angle of more than 180 degrees.
  • The mousetrap must be contained in the vehicle and must propel the vehicle by means of a wheel or wheels in contact with the ground. A launcher or device that pushes the vehicle is prohibited.
  • One wheel of the vehicle must remain in contact with the ground at all times.
  • The vehicle must remain as a single unit at all times.
  • The vehicle must have a mass of at least 0.5 kg.
  • The vehicle must be started from a standstill by releasing the mousetrap spring in a manner that imparts no additional energy to the vehicle, i.e., the vehicle may not be given a push start.

    • The Race:

  • The race course will consist of a hard, smooth, level surface with lanes for individual vehicles each 10 meters long and 2 meters wide. The time interval required for each vehicle to cover the 10 meters will be measured from the time the leading edge of the vehicle's front wheel breaks the plane of the starting line to the time the leading edge of the same wheel breaks the plane of the finish line. If the vehicle does not travel the entire 10 meters, then the distance traveled from the start will be used to determine the vehicle's score. If the vehicle leaves the lane from either side, it will be considered stopped when it breaks the plane of the lane boundary.

    • Scoring:

  • 20 points will be awarded to each team that shows up with a viable vehicle.
  • 40 points will be awarded to each vehicle completing the 10 meter distance. If a vehicle completes a fraction of the full distance, the corresponding fraction of 40 points will be awarded.
  • Vehicles completing the 10 meter distance will be awarded up to 40 additional points based on the time required to complete the distance. The overall fastest time of the day for the entire field of entries will be divided by an individual vehicle's finish time to determine the fraction of 40 points awarded to that vehicle. The standing overall fastest time will be posted for reference while the competition is in progress.
  • Each vehicle will be allowed to complete two runs. The vehicle's best time/distance will then be used to determine its score.