Our complete final product is a motor boat that demonstrates the energy transformation of electrical energy to mechanical energy. In the Define and Inquire stage, we brainstormed ideas on the product that we were going to create, keeping in mind the materials, space, and time provided. After deciding that our intended audience was children, we looked at videos for inspiration. The ideas that caught our eye were ones that contained an energy transfer to kinetic energy. In the Develop and Plan stage, we drew blueprints of the initial design and listed the measurements and materials needed. While spending time and searching around in the Design Center, we figured that there was no need for a separate on and off switch since the battery already had one on it. We also defined our success criteria and goals for this project, specifically the function of the boat. In the Create and Improve stage, we went ahead and built our design while adjusting things on the way. This stage was also a chance for us to test the prototype and receive some peer feedback. I believe that this stage was definitely the most challenging as a lot of the initial ideas did not work out. For the Reflect and Share stage, we presented our final design to the class and got some more feedback to reflect on.

Looking at the rubric and our success criteria, I would say our design was a success as it is functional, solves the design problem, and targets the intended audience. However, we could have improved our design if there was time after receiving peer feedback to further attract the customer/audience. The overall appearance of the boat could have also looked better if the two sides were symmetrical and we painted colors on it since bright colors will also attract our audience. Using a more water proof material for the wheels would have further stabilized the paddle because the wooden popsicle sticks were not water proof.

I believe that our design meets the design specifications because it demonstrates the energy transformation from electrical energy to mechanical energy. The battery powers the motor, which then transfers the electrical energy to potential energy. The stored potential energy is then released and is transferred to kinetic energy. Therefore, the kinetic energy transferred from the electrical energy is what allows this boat to move. Additionally, the toy was completed on time and acts as great entertainment for the intended audience, which meets the design specifications.

I am the most proud of the boat being able to float and move on water. We were pretty nervous at the beginning because we thought the weight of the motor and batteries on the boat would be too heavy and would eventually sink it. The most challenging part in my opinion was getting the wheels to function and move with out getting it caught on the side of the boat. Since some of the thicker metal skewers in the design lab could not fit into the motor, the ones we found were too short so we had to move the wheels to the front of the boat for it to be able spin properly. This process took a long time as we were constantly fixing the angle of the bottle cap and the length of the popsicle sticks. During the tests, the hot glue also did not seem to keep the pieces intact as one popsicle stick paddle and a few magnets on the fish fell off during the tests. Ultimately, this engineering project was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed learning a few new skills.

video of the boat in action

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.

There were hardly any changes made from the initial plan to the completed plan. Other than adjusting the measurements of the boat, we finalized the placement of the motor and determined how the fish are going to be made. We also looked towards using blue tac to secure the motor onto the boat, making it reusable compared to hot gluing it on. Considering the age of our intended audience, we designed this toy to be more kid-friendly, with no sharp edges or complicated switches.

The techniques we need knowledge on for this design will mainly be how to connect the double sided DC motor to the battery with wires since we have not worked with motors or batteries before.

The plan to create the design:

1. Make the boat: Cut out the main pieces of the boat with styrofoam using the measurements listed above.
2. Hot glue all pieces together to form the basic boat. Make sure there are no gaps and no water will leak in.
3. Attach two wires to the double sided DC motor. Attach another two wires to the battery.
4. Connect the two wires on the motor to the two wires on the battery and secure with electrical tape.
5. Plug one metal skewer on each side of the double sided motor.
6. Make holes on the sides of the boat and ensure the metal skewer is long enough and that there is enough space on both sides.
7. Stick the plastic disks into the skewers.
8. Cut 8 popsicle sticks in half and hot glue 8 on each bottle cap. Make sure they are spaced evenly and stable.
9. Hot glue the bottle caps onto the plastic disks. Once dry, turn on the motor test the paddles.
10. Secure the motor and battery onto the boat with blue tac.
11. Make the fishing game: Cut a 10 cm wooden skewer and hot glue it onto the boat. Make sure that it is durable and stands upright.
12. Hot glue one end of a 20cm piece of string with mini magnet balls. Hot glue the other end onto the wooden skewer.
13.  Attach one mini magnet ball to each fish. Ensure the magnets are fully dried before testing.

We will know this design is successful when the boat is able to float and paddle on water. The boat will not sink because of the weight of the motor and battery and no water should leak in. Additionally, the magnets should be able to attract the magnets on the fish and not fall apart in the water.

For this Grade 9 Science Engineering project, I will attempt to make a motor boat toy that demonstrates various energy transfers. The purpose of this toy is to be able to move and paddle through water while being entertaining for my intended audience. The boat will be powered by batteries connected to a motor, which is then connected to the wheels for it to spin and paddle the boat forwards. Looking at the present day world, young children are more likely of choosing electronic devices like phones and iPads over old fashioned toys. For this project, creating a toy that is more entertaining than an electronic device will be the goal. Therefore, the audience will mainly be children as this toy is easy to power on and is made to entertain kids. In this design, we tried to use as many sustainable items as possible, such as foam, popsicle sticks, wooden skewers, and bottle caps. Additionally, the motors and electrical wires are recyclable because they are made of metals, but the batteries are still classified as hazardous waste, which impacts the environment negatively. Although this design is durable since it is put together with hot glue, hot glue is also not environmentally friendly as it is made with non-biodegradable plastic. However, we tried out best to be sustainable while demonstrating the energy transfer from electrical energy to mechanical energy.

We were mostly inspired by precedents such as children boat toys and the magnetic fishing games in carnivals.We took away some techniques such as attaching the motor to the battery and the overall shape of the boat. Adding the fishing game at the end also made this product  original and more interesting to our intended audience because it turns the boat from just a toy to a fun game.