Mock Testing Cockpit
Formula SAE, Cockpit Subteam
In my first semester as a cockpit subteam member of Olin Electric Motorsports, our Formula SAE team, I worked on a project with another subteam member to create a cockpit testing jig, the "mockpit", that could be used to test values that couldn’t be measured by calculations. The overall aim of the project was to move towards a more ergonomic cockpit design for future iteration of our Formula car, as well as enable a larger range of drivers to drive the car.
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We wanted to use the mockpit to find ideal cockpit dimensions for a variety of drivers. To obtain the values we wanted, the cockpit testing jig had the following design requirements:
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Vertically adjustable front roll hoop with horizontal movement
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Vertically adjustable main roll hoop
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Angularly adjustable seat
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Removable side panels
The following images show our ideation for fulfilling these requirements.
Image 1: Represent the main and front roll hoop with two 2x4s with equidistant holes drilled vertically along them; this will enable a PVC pipe to move vertically
Image 2: Test different heights for steering wheel placement by moving the PVC vertically along the front roll hoop
Image 3: Add two more 2x4s parallel to the floor under the seat to test the angle of the seat bottom; use this in parallel with main roll hoop to find ideal seat angle
Image 4: Movement of the seat in the mockpit; the intersection of the back and bottom is our axis of rotation
Once our design was approved by senior members of the team, our next step was to make a 3D model of the mockpit in SolidWorks to simulate the different adjustable components and double-check our design before fabricating it.
After we checked that our model worked correctly, we then worked on fabricating the mockpit. The front roll hoop, main roll hoop, and base were all made out of 2x4s. The seat itself was plywood, and the back and bottom were affixed to another piece of plywood parallel to the ground with hinges.
Our final step after fabricating the mockpit was to develop testing plans. These are to be used in the next iteration of the car when designing the cockpit.