Our prototype was able to float and the wheels were able to paddle without getting caught. Overall, our boat was able to work smoothly and no water leaked in. Moving the motor more towards the front of the boat was also a good idea as it lifted more weight off the back. However, I think we could’ve tested the prototype in a larger and deeper pool to fully see the toy in action. We could’ve also been more careful and made the popsicle stick paddles the same length since the shape of the wheels are a bit lopsided. Our initial plan was to put the wheels at the back, but due to the short length of the metal skewer, we had to move the motor to the front. On top of that, the styrofoam on the bottom of the boat was not as bendy as expected, which made the sides tilt inwards.

Peer Feedback:

Candy: A very creative idea! Nice work of making it function. It would be better if you improved its appearance and tested it in a bigger pool.

Hanna: Very interesting/cool idea! Maybe the wheels could have been more carefully constructed.

Sophie: Cool idea! Maybe think about how to protect the wires and battery from the water.

Responding to the feedback from Candy, we would have painted the boat and made it more aesthetically pleasing if there was more time. Also, smoothing out the edges of the foam with sand paper would have made the design look more clean. Looking at the feedback Hanna provided, the next step would be to hot glue all the pieces and wheels of the boat to fully ensure that it’s durable and will not break once exposed to water. Sophie was also able to remind us to fully hot glue and seal the gaps, but we could have added a cover to the outside of the battery and motor to make it waterproof.

I think the design worked better than what we expected and the first test has met our success criteria.