Engineering HubYear 9 project companion

Year 9 Engineering · Mechanical Vehicle Project

Design it. Build it. Test it. Improve it.

This hub guides you through each part of the assignment. Open the stage you are working on for requirements, probing questions, scaffolding, reminders and a section-specific example.

Main target 01Tow 1 kg
Main target 02Drive at 0.5 m/s
Open project stages

Important: this independently created support site does not replace the task sheet or your teacher's current instructions.

Australian four-wheel-drive towing a trailer, with project targets to tow 1 kilogram and reach 0.5 metres per second
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Design constraint

Your vehicle body must fit the supplied Scorpio plywood base.

Check the real base measurements before sketching, CAD modelling or manufacturing. A visually impressive design cannot be built if it is too large for the platform.

Important dates

Project milestones

The live panel above updates automatically. These are the formal checkpoints for the assignment.

Assignment guide

Open the part you are working on

Each numbered stage opens targeted support for that section only. You can also send someone a direct link to any stage.

Help-document guide

What strong folio evidence looks like

Use these prompts with the official task sheet and folio template. They turn the project brief into practical evidence you can show in each design-process phase.

Core assignment support
Performance targetTow at least 1 kg and travel at least 0.5 m/s when not towing.
What you submitA completed engineering design-process folio and a working vehicle prototype.
Available technologiesScorpio car kit, Fusion 360, 3D printing, LightBurn, laser cutting and suitable hand tools.
Fixed constraintThe manufactured body and systems must fit the supplied Scorpio base and keep the wheels, switch, wiring and tow point clear.
Frame the problem

Write a useful “How might we…” statement

How might we [intended action] for [primary user] so that [desired effect]?

Keep the user, towing purpose and measurable performance needs visible.
Balance considerations

Look beyond appearance

Consider aesthetic, cultural, economic, social and technical factors. Explain any trade-off rather than pretending every feature can be maximised.

Technical factors include function, sustainability, dimensions and ergonomics.
Make criteria measurable

State the criterion and justify it

Criteria may address whether a design is innovative, useful, aesthetic, accessible or sustainable, but each one needs a measurable test and a reason.

“Looks good” is not measurable. Define the evidence that would prove success.
Develop real alternatives

Change the engineering idea

Use SCAMPER prompts—substitute, combine, adapt, modify, put to another use, eliminate or rearrange—to create meaningfully different concepts.

Annotate why each concept might work, what could fail and how it differs from the others.
Select materials with evidence

Compare relevant properties

Use properties such as strength, stiffness, mass, toughness, manufacturability and cost to explain why a material suits a component.

A property chart is evidence only when you connect it to the actual job the component must do.
Communicate the design

Show development, not just a final picture

Include annotated concepts, justified selection, refinements, dimensions, CAD evidence and prototype-test results.

Your folio should make the reasoning between each design decision visible.

Optional extension pathway

Optimise one variable

Finish the core task first. Then choose one vehicle variable and investigate it across Explore, Develop, Generate and Evaluate.

Choose one pathway — not every task
Best overall extension

Which configuration gives the best balance of speed and towing ability?

Choose gear ratio, wheel diameter, drive-wheel position, vehicle mass or weight distribution. Predict what will happen, change only that variable, test systematically and justify the best configuration using evidence.

Gear ratioWheel diameterFWD or RWDVehicle massWeight distribution
  1. PredictState how the change should affect speed and towing.
  2. ControlChange one variable and keep the others consistent.
  3. RepeatComplete at least three trials for every configuration.
  4. ProcessCalculate averages and graph the results.
  5. ExplainUse engineering science to explain the pattern.
  6. RecommendDefend the best configuration using evidence.
ExploreBuild the evidence before designing
  • Compare three real towing vehicles and explain why their gearing, wheel size, mass distribution and drivetrain suit towing.
  • Create extra measurable criteria for stability, reliability, manufacturability, battery access or component protection.
  • Rank the criteria and justify which ones matter most.
  • Annotate the vehicle as interacting systems: structure, drivetrain, electrical system, wheels, tow connection and Scorpio base.
  • Calculate the wheel RPM needed to reach 0.5 m/s for different possible wheel diameters.
  • Design a fair test plan, including controlled variables, repeated trials and a results table.
DevelopCompare genuinely different concepts
  • Create three genuinely different drivetrain concepts—not cosmetic variations.
  • Use a weighted decision matrix to compare the concepts.
  • Compare front-wheel drive and rear-wheel drive for traction, weight distribution and towing.
  • Predict the speed–torque trade-off for different gear ratios.
  • Create a parametric Fusion 360 model so wheel size or key dimensions can be changed easily.
  • Create an exploded assembly or dimensioned engineering drawing.
  • Investigate whether moving the battery or motor changes traction on the drive wheels.
Generate & testCollect performance evidence
  • Test several gear ratios and produce a load-versus-speed graph.
  • Find the maximum load the vehicle can tow reliably—not just once.
  • Compare predicted performance with actual performance.
  • Calculate the percentage difference between theoretical and experimental results.
  • Test reliability across repeated runs.
  • Analyse a failure, identify its cause and redesign the affected component.
  • Optimise the design while limiting total mass or the number of materials used.
EvaluateInterrogate the evidence
  • Why was actual performance different from calculated performance?
  • Where was energy lost through friction, wheel slip or drivetrain inefficiency?
  • Which design decision had the greatest effect?
  • Does the evidence actually prove the vehicle is reliable?
  • What would need to change if the load increased to 1.5 kg?
  • Which result may be anomalous, and should it be included?
  • What trade-off did you accept between speed and towing ability?

Measure first. Model second. The Scorpio base is a fixed physical constraint, so check it throughout the design process—not only at the end.

Stage 01

Understand the challenge

Know what must be designed, tested and communicated before making decisions.

What the task is asking

Develop a vehicle concept and a working prototype that demonstrates engineering thinking. The prototype must tow at least 1 kg and travel at least 0.5 m/s without the load.

Requirements to track

  • A design-process folio.
  • A functional prototype.
  • Research, calculations, justified decisions and testing evidence.
  • A vehicle body that physically fits the supplied Scorpio base.

Ask yourself

  • What is fixed and what can I choose?
  • What evidence will prove the vehicle works?
  • Which limits could make my design impossible to build?
Next: Explore →
Stage 02 · Explore

Explore the problem

Build the knowledge needed to make defensible design decisions.

Include

  • The problem in your own words.
  • Known information and justified assumptions.
  • Conditions affecting an Australian towing vehicle.
  • Relevant concepts: torque, speed, gearing, friction, mass and materials.
  • Useful kit and base measurements.

Probing questions

  • What will increase towing ability?
  • What might reduce speed?
  • How could body size and mass affect performance?
  • Which measurements must be known before CAD begins?

Ready to move on?

  • I have linked theory to this vehicle.
  • I have recorded real constraints.
  • I have not copied the task sheet as my analysis.
Stage 03

Existing product research

Analyse vehicles that can inform your own solution.

What to do

Choose relevant vehicles and use a structured analysis such as PMI. Focus on engineering ideas you could adapt—not a list of luxury features.

Look for

  • Body proportions and towing form.
  • Wheel clearance and overhang.
  • Materials and mass.
  • Tow connection and drivetrain ideas.

Ask yourself

  • Which feature solves part of my problem?
  • Would that feature fit the Scorpio platform?
  • What would I change for this prototype?
Stage 04

Materials analysis

Compare evidence and justify which materials suit different parts.

Useful evidence

  • Cost and availability.
  • Strength, stiffness and density.
  • Manufacturing suitability.
  • Durability, corrosion and sustainability.

Scaffolding

Property → consequence → design decision

“This material has ___, which means ___ for the vehicle. Therefore it is suitable/unsuitable for ___.”

Ask yourself

  • Where will this material be used?
  • Does it add unnecessary mass?
  • Can it be manufactured using available tools?
Stage 05 · Develop

Design brief, criteria and plan

Turn the research into a clear direction for the project.

Design brief

Summarise what will be designed, who it is for, what it must achieve and the major constraints.

Success criteria

  • Make each criterion measurable where possible.
  • Include performance, function, appearance and manufacture.
  • Include fitting the supplied base as a criterion.

Project plan

  • Sequence the work realistically.
  • Include testing and redesign time.
  • Work backwards from the milestones.
Stage 06

Initial ideas

Generate several possible solutions before committing to one design.

Your concepts should show

  • Different forms or feature combinations.
  • Useful annotations explaining decisions.
  • Approximate proportions.
  • How the body fits over the real base.

Annotate with reasons

Instead of “large wheels,” write why the feature helps the design or meets a criterion.

Questions to test each idea

  • Will it fit within the measured base?
  • Are the wheels free to rotate?
  • Can the switch and motor still be accessed?
  • Is the tow point clear?
Stage 07

Refine the design

Use evidence to combine, reject or improve ideas.

Show change

  • Identify what changed.
  • Explain why it changed.
  • Link the change to research, feedback, criteria or calculations.

Scaffolding

“I changed ___ because ___. This improves ___ and better meets criterion ___.”

Dimension check

  • Confirm overall length and width.
  • Confirm wheel and component clearance.
  • Record any size reduction made after checking the base.
Stage 08 · Generate

Final design and CAD

Communicate a solution that can actually be manufactured and fitted to the kit.

Final communication

  • Clear final concept views.
  • Relevant dimensions.
  • Materials and components.
  • Annotations explaining final decisions.
  • CAD evidence showing development.

Before CAD

  • Set document units correctly.
  • Model or sketch the base boundary first.
  • Use the real base length and width.
  • Leave clearance for wheels and mechanisms.

Fit check

Your final design should be compared directly with the Scorpio base. Record evidence of the check rather than relying on appearance.

Fusion workshop →
Stage 09

Prototype and testing

Collect evidence that shows what works, what fails and what should change.

Record

  • Speed without the towing load.
  • Maximum successful towing mass.
  • Observations, failures and modifications.
  • Photos, tables or graphs as useful evidence.

Fair testing

  • Use a consistent distance and surface.
  • Measure accurately.
  • Repeat tests where possible.
  • Change one factor at a time.

Physical fit evidence

  • Body remains secure on the base.
  • Wheels rotate freely.
  • Tow point remains accessible.
  • No part interferes with the gearbox or wiring.
Stage 10

Evaluation

Judge the final solution against the criteria using evidence.

Use this structure

Judgment → evidence → explanation → improvement

State whether the criterion was met, prove it with testing, explain why and recommend a realistic improvement.

Probe your thinking

  • What does the evidence prove?
  • Which criterion was only partly met?
  • Did the body fit and function on the platform?
  • What would you change with more time?

Avoid

  • “The car worked well.”
  • Repeating the method.
  • Claiming success without data.
  • Suggesting vague improvements.
Stage 11

Final submission check

Make sure the design process and final evidence are complete.

Folio

  • All required sections are present.
  • Decisions are justified.
  • Sources are acknowledged.
  • Pages are readable and professionally organised.

Prototype

  • Vehicle body fits securely on the base.
  • Wheels and mechanisms are unobstructed.
  • Towing point is usable.
  • Performance evidence has been recorded.

Final read

  • Have I explained why?
  • Have I used evidence?
  • Can the marker follow how my design developed?
Section-specific exemplar

Example

Examples will be written for one section at a time.

Compare—do not copy.

What does this example include that your own work still needs? Look for evidence, reasoning, engineering vocabulary and links to the project requirements.
Priority technical reference

Scorpio plywood base and build platform

The main rectangular base is approximately 185 mm × 100 mm. The two centre openings provide access for the battery and wiring, while the end tab connects to the wheeled 1 kg trailer.

Top-view reference

≈ 185 mm ≈ 100 mm Wire access Battery / wire opening Tow attachment tab Connects to wheeled 1 kg trailer

Use these dimensions throughout the assignment

ExploreSuccess criteriaInitial ideas RefinementFusion 360Final fit check
Engineering toolkit

Topic title
Searchable reference

Year 9 Engineering Formula Book

Search by concept, symbol, unit or project use. Every card includes useful rearrangements for algebraic problem-solving.