Energy Breakthrough

Members of the hackerspace initially volunteered to support a local primary school competing in the Energy Breakthrough human-powered vehicle challenge. The school was experiencing ongoing issues with the standard off-the-shelf kit, including excessive heat buildup inside the enclosed cabin, limited access for repairs due to the sealed body design, and a fragmented lighting and electronics setup based on individual bicycle components that were poorly suited to the operating environment.

In the first year of collaboration, we designed and prototyped a series of substantial upgrades to improve safety, reliability, and usability. These included a removable rear access hatch to simplify maintenance, 3D-printed NACA ducts to improve rider cooling, and the development of a fully integrated electronics system. The new electronics architecture powers the entire vehicle from a single power-tool battery and consolidates front and rear LED lighting, a sensor suite monitoring vehicle state, and a digital rider dashboard displaying cadence and RPM. This provided riders with practical performance feedback while also introducing a gamified training element, which received very positive feedback from students. The system is built around custom-designed PCBs that act as the central control unit and log all telemetry to MicroSD for post-session analysis.

For the current season, work is underway on a fully custom steering system that replaces all factory steering components, relocating mechanisms beneath the chassis and away from riders’ hands and legs to improve safety and ergonomics. In parallel, the vehicle electronics are being expanded with features such as crash detection and remote telemetry, including live graphical dashboards displayed on pit-area monitors. We are also developing a training simulator incorporating a custom 3D video game, allowing students to practice the actual Maryborough track layout while at school.