dude we totally did it...sort of

keep your head up

Still working It

Hola, Capt. Shit here. Just wanted to keep everyone updated on our progress. We are finalizing the specifics of our design and getting some prep-work in. We have set a timeline to have the base car completed by the 4th of July. We need to complete brake-work and base platform things this week. Parts we are looking for: Old tires, (for suspension), cable (for brake line) and sheets of metal (for bracket welds). There are more but I don't want to bore you. We will be posting some new 3D sketches of the car soon. Sit tight.

Word Up

Just got word back from the DMV (Department of Mutant Vehicles from Burningman). Beacause our vehicle is human powered, it doesn't need to be registered. NO RULES MAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dimensioning and the Golden Ratio

In dimensioning and trying to find the size that will fit our needs we began by choosing random numbers. These were from what we felt would be the proper size. In a projects, such as this, incorporating meaning into every detail adds to the value and beauty of the finished product. Faced with numbers representing a vehicle's dimensions we incorporated the Golden Ratio. Because the ratio is not a whole number, it is really hard to get whole numbers to be in the exact Golden Ratio. So we end up rounding up or down. For instance the length of the base of the bottom platform will be 13. The height of the pyramid from the center of the base to the tip-top will be 21, 21/13 = 1.615. This is very close to the Golden Ratio of 1.618... The width of the base platform will be 8 feet, 13/8 = 1.625. Not as close, but still close. Applying this to other dimension, like the height of the second level, we will see the ratio appear in a number of places. If we choose 8 feet as the height, that would divide the total height into 8 foot and 13 foot sections. At 8 feet, the dimensions the pyramid legs enclose around the second platform are length 8 feet and width 5 feet, 8/5 = 1.6. A little further away but still close. If we decide to make a third smaller platform and put this 8 feet above the 2nd platform (dividing the height from the 2nd platform to the top, 13 feet, into 8 foot and 5 foot sections) we find the 3rd platform to be 3 feet long by 2 feet wide, 3/2 = 1.5. We're getting a little further out but a funny thing happens when we take a closer look at the numbers we have for our dimensions:

2, 3, 5, 8, 13, and 21. Does this number sequence look familiar to you?

It is a Fibonacci Sequence. The Fibonacci sequence is a set of infinite numbers, where each number is the result of adding the two numbers previous to it together. 2+3=5, 3+5=8,5+8=13 8+13=21... Check out the links because it's fascinating math.

The Latest

We got an email from Lady Bee, burner name, that we were not accepted for the burning man art grant. A slight let down, but we push on. They did mention that our piece made it to the final round and had some encouraging words for us. Since then, our designing has made some significant progress and we have established teams throughout the USA to construct parts of the vehicle to be brought together in the northern desert of Nevada. The teams are located in San Francisco, Tuscon, Chicago and New York.

We are also working on a new look for the vehicle, instead of the old boxy aesthetic. The new design is based off of the great pyramids of Giza. This will give the structure more strength and will allow us to trade off for lighter materials. The upper deck structure will be constructed in Tuscon. The dimensions and technique are still in arbitration. We are beginning to look at bamboo and lashings. Bamboo is known for its high strength to weight ratio and it is also a renewable resource, I think.

We also are working on designing the vehicle so it is up to code and meets burning man's guidelines and standards. This will involve assuring them that the vehicle is safe, mechanically sound and is lit properly. We will have to apply for two licenses for day and night time playa cruising.

Below you may view our new design. Note: the dimensions are not to scale. it should be longer and more rectangular.

Acquiring New Parts

Last weekend was spent in Maine searching for parts and pieces for the project. The search was for materials for the base structure, which will hold the axles together and which we will will build upon. And also sprockets and supports. View the pictures of the sprockets on the Flickr link below. There you will also see pictures of the wood pieces that will be used for the structure base, along with pictures of the mill they were cut from. The whole process to produce the timber beams could be considered eco-friendly. The tree the wood came from was selectively cut, unlike conventional clear cutting practices. The transportation from the wood lot to the mill was less than a mile. I did drive the wood to down to NYC but that I was doing anyway. Below is a video of pops hauling out the wood to put in the truck. In all honesty, this method is not very eco-friendly...but it is fun to watch.