LOLrioKart

LOLrioKart at MITERS


What originally started as a whimsical attempt to strap a set of large nickel cadmium batteries, discovered in a dusty back room, to something – anything – has turned into a full-fledged ambitious engineering project. LOLrioKart has become, for better or worse, my most well-known work, and something of a campus icon.

It is also a constantly changing experiment and being upgraded and permuted whenever I think of something else to add. It’s the test platform for all of my electric vehicle controller development. The “vehicle” possesses features not found on the average small go-kart, such as dual front disk brakes and a custom-designed and fabricated rear differential. The motor controller is a fully custom work and practically a project in its own right. The latest controller iteration adds regenerative braking and non-contactor reverse ability to the electric drive (i.e. a 4-quadrant drive).

Then, of course, there is the 4-channel surround sound system with subwoofer. That makes it all worthwhile.


LOLrioKart 1.0

Vehicle What does it look like?
Drivetrain Midship-Rear 2WD
Mechanical Welded steel tubing stock frame 6061, 2024 aluminum addenda
Motor Briggs and Stratton ETEK 8HP continuous, 15HP peak
Controller 100V 680 amp custom w/ regenerative braking
Battery 54 volt giant nicads
Top Speed 35-45MPH, depending on gearing
Range Untested
Curb Weight 250lb

LOLrioKart build reports can be found in its category.

LOLrioKart has been featured in the following:

Gizmodo

Jalopnik

Engadget

MIT Admission Blogs 1 2

Boston Globe Ideas

MIT News,

Technology Review Nov/Dec 2009

Popular Science, October 2009 1 2

et al.