Development and Evaluation of a Self-Propelled Boat

This report aims to detail the design process of additive manufacturing using computer-aided design for a boat, which had to satisfy certain criteria in order to be accepted for this investigation; these criteria challenged every aspect of the design process. By collating different ideas for the boat, which was required to be (100x100x100) mm in size and be powered by an elastic band mechanism, a design was derived that could ensure it travelled 2.5m through stagnant water; it also needed to be able to float and cut through water. The chosen elastic band mechanism looked at storing the maximum amount of energy which predictions show to be around 9.9J. The theoretical values of buoyancy (8.08 X 10 -1 Newtons) and drag forces were also found to reinforce the decision of the final
design.
Material extrusion was the method used to 3D print the Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene (ABS) material. This method of printing allows for models to be scaled to most sizes and the ABS material provides a sturdy structure. The only possible flaws in the design were noted in the Design, Failure, Mode, Effects and Analysis. Here, possible failures, reasons for these and preventative techniques are noted for the safety of the investigators.