The purpose of this website is to document the development of the Party Van as well as showcase the pertinent design considerations we made while building the robot.

The Competition
The competition for Phys 253 in 2010 is a racing challenge. Rules and background to the competition. The competition serves as a kind of "final" for the class, and is the culmination of over a month of circuit soldering, water jetting, stress-testing mayhem. The purpose of Phys 253 is to expose engineering physics students to practical experiences by prototyping a robot for a singular purpose. Course Website.

Robot Design Considerations
The robot won the competition because it had extensively tested software, a reliable, and somewhat clever mechanical design that complemented the robots movements, and simple-to-debug circuitry. We invite you to explore the Party Van's unusually slim profile, its moving IR sensor, and its myriad of other features detailed on this website.