Current
Cars
Learn more about our cars we're working on for the 2026-2027 competition season.
AEROSPRAY
Splatoon Car will use a Zinc-Iodine battery for its propulsion mechanism and rely on a time-based Luminol reaction for its stopping mechanism. The name of the car was inspired by the bright blue glow of the Luminol reaction bearing a likeness to the neon paint colors in the video game, and the body of the car will be decorated like a blue squid for competition. We hope this unique design dominates Regionals with its chemistry, precision, and color!
Lead by
Propulsion Team Lead
Paul Kim
Propulsion Team Lead
Daniel Saucedo
Zinc–Iodine (Zn–Iā) Battery
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Our team plans to use a Zinc–Iodine (Zn–Iā) battery to provide electrical power for the Chem-E-Car. When the circuit is closed, Zinc releases electrons at the anode, which flow through the motor to the iodine cathode. Potassium Iodide helps dissolve the Iodine as triiodide, allowing it to accept the electrons and form Iodide. Several cells will be connected in series to provide enough voltage to run the car reliably.
Stopping Team Lead
Ansh Kumar
Stopping Team Lead
Nathan Carlos-Lugtu
Enhanced Luminol Chemiluminescence
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The Enhanced Chemiluminescence (ECL) Reaction is a reaction that uses Luminol to emit a glowing blue light over a stable plateau of time. The mechanism is controlled by four distinct variables— those being luminol, horseradish peroxidase (HRP), 4-phenylphenol, and hydrogen peroxide. Through a series of cascading radical products, an excited form of 3-aminophthalate relaxes into its ground state, releasing a blue photon in the process. The stopping mechanism operates on the timed and controlled presence of light.
Chem-e-cart
The Mine Car(t) will be powered by a Aluminum-Copper battery and stopped using a novel mechanism, a galvanic cell timer. Unlike typical stopping mechanisms, the galvanic cell will use a voltage sensor to determine when the car should stop rather than a color change chemical reaction. The car will combine a recognizable theme with fresh ideas, and should put on a show at Regionals this Spring!
Lead by
Propulsion Team Lead
Jaden Song
Propulsion Team Lead
Geannie Yang
Aluminum-Copper Batteryā
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Submerging Copper Hydroxide and Aluminum into an alkaline (KOH) solution reduces Copper Hydroxide to form Copper and oxidizes Aluminum to form Aluminum Hydroxide. The setup theoretically yields 2.0V depending on how pure the cathode is. The battery is rechargeable in theory but very difficult to execute due to the high reduction potential of Aluminum Hydroxide causing reduction of water to be more favorable. However, this concept still works in our favor since the Copper cathode can be recharged and reused while the Aluminum can cheaply be replaced.
Stopping Team Lead
JD Redivo
Stopping Team Lead
Carlos Postlethwaite
Copper-Zinc Galvanic Cell Timerā
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We are constructing a Copper-Zinc galvanic cell that serves as a timer. Zinc undergoes oxidation at the anode while Copper undergoes reduction at the cathode, with a Potassium Nitrate gel salt bridge maintaining charge balance between the half-cells. By varying the Copper ion concentration, we can manipulate the cell’s operating lifetime. Using a voltage sensor, we track when the voltage decreases by a certain value, thus sending a signal to stop the car.
Mechanical Team
Lead By
Mechanical Team Lead
Sophie Kang
Mechanical Team Lead
Orlando Villagrana
The motor for our mechanism will be powered by the propulsion team’s battery to generate spin for our wheels through a gear-belt transmission. The chassis will have a diamond pattern perforation on the prepared chassis material for weight reduction.
Mechanical team members should be prepared to learn CAD software, 3D printing, wood working, and laser cutting.
Electrical Team
Lead By
Electrical Team Lead
Angel Ramirez
Electrical Team Lead
Kevin Mendez
For the photo resistor (Splatoon Car), the resistor is placed in a black box and when the two solutions combine, a light in the box tells the car to go. After the box gets dark again, the car stops.
For the voltage divider (Mine Cart), a battery is connected to two resistors in series and an Arduino tracks the voltage between the two resistors, shutting off when the voltage drops below a certain threshold.