The information below is subject to change as more event tips and details are included.  Please monitor this page regularly.

Event Description:

Before coming to the Olympiad, each team is given a kit consisting of various mechanical and electronic parts to design, build and race a model hybrid car that can run on either solar energy or battery power.  During the competition the students will race their car on a prescribed course. Weather conditions will determine whether the solar panel or the battery pack is used to power the car. The judges will decide which type of power source is to be used for a particular race and all cars in that race will use the same type of power source:  either the solar cell or battery, but not both together.  The first over the finish line wins.

Additional information: each team will be provided with three solar cells (each 7 cm x 4cm) , a 1.5 volt battery pack and a small electric motor (3/4" diameter x 1" long) fitted with a pulley of outer diameter 1/4". These items (together with a digital voltmeter) will be shipped to participants to arrive on Monday, April xx. Before coming to the competition, each team will design and build their solar-hybrid racer using the motor,  solar cell and battery provided. Each team will provide the rest of the materials to construct their solar-hybrid racer. HINT: materials that can be easily be found around the home such as plastic bottle caps, rubber bands, cardboard, coffee stirrers, drinking straws, etc., will be useful for constructing your racer. Note:  in last year’s Olympiad, the most common cause for losing a race was misalignment of the wheels, such that the car did not run in a straight line.  contestants are advised to pay particular attention to this point and to test their cars thoroughly before the competition.  Also note:  your car design should include a fast and convenient switchover between solar and battery; this could be as simple as throwing a switch or using removable alligator clip connections. You should be able to convert from one power source to the other in less than one minute.   It is permissible to leave the solar panel on board when using battery power, but it must not be connected to the motor at the same time as the battery.  It is also permissible to leave the battery pack on board when running under solar power, but it must not be connected to the motor at the same time as the solar panel.

Event Location and Time:

Apparatus and Materials:

The following equipment will be provided:

• Three silicon solar power cells
• A 1.5 volt AA battery pack
• A small electric motor fitted with a  small pulley
• One larger pulley (28 mm diameter)
• A digital multimeter to test power output

Event Rules:

• Teams must have no more than four members.
• The competition consists of a series of races over a fixed course
• No power source items other than those provided may be used during the competition.
• No addition mechanical forces may be applied by contestants during race (e.g. no pushing or wind power); only light from the sun, or power from the battery, is allowed.
• Contestants will be allowed to restart their cars if they get stuck in a rut or other obstacle.

Judging Criteria:

• The cars will race against each other in several heats. Depending on weather conditions,  the judges will decide which type of power source is to be used for a particular race and all cars in that race will use the same type of power source:  either the solar cell or battery, but not both together.   There will be two cars in each heat. The first over the finish line in each heat wins that heat and continues to compete in subsequent heats until an overall winner emerges.  Gold and Silver Medals will be awarded to the winner and second place finisher in the final heat, respectively. A race-off will be held between the losers of the semi-final heats to determine the Bronze Medal.  After all the heats are completed, there will be a Grand Melėe race in which all cars compete with each other simultaneously. The same power-source rules apply as in the heats.   The winner, second and third place finishers of the Grand Melėe race will be awarded Gold, Silver, and Bronze Medals, respectively.

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Revised: March 08, 2008.