Transcript

Drop Test Introduction and Bolt Dimensions

Now we are doing some drop testing to the Bolt to test its ruggedness. We’re going to start by measuring the Bolt’s dimensions and its weight to give us some context for the G-forces that it’ll undergo.

The Bolt is roughly three and a half inches long and about one and three quarter inches in diameter. The Bolt is about .322 pounds. With that weight and those dimensions in mind, let’s do some drop testing.

One-Foot Drop Test

We’re gonna drop it from one foot in three different orientations and look at the accelerometer data from the built-in accelerometer inside the Bolt. Gonna drop it from one foot in this orientation, then the opposite orientation, and now horizontally.

Now we will collect the data that it’s recorded while running under supercapacitor power. The Bolt bounce peak G is around 40 to 50 in any orientation, but then the maximum G-force depends on the orientation. If it’s vertical, it’s around 300. Horizontal is around 150. And the Bolt has survived the drop test.

Two-Foot Drop Test

Now we are going to do the two-foot drop test. I’m going to unplug it from power. It’s running on supercapacitors. Drop it in the horizontal direction from two feet. Now I’m gonna drop it vertically. Vertically in the other orientation from two feet. Power it back. Apply power. And we’ll extract the data and analyze it.

Now we have the three drops: the horizontal, one vertical, the second vertical. The peak Gs for the horizontal drop was 100 G roughly, and then we hit around 200 on one vertical drop, and only about 150 on the second vertical drop.

Three-Foot Drop Test

Now we’re going to do the three-foot drop test. Gonna drop it in the horizontal direction from 36 inches. Now in the vertical orientation. And the other vertical orientation from, again, from three feet.

The Bolt has recorded this using its supercapacitors for ride through. Power it back up, and we’ll extract the data and take a look at the acceleration data.

Now we have the three-foot acceleration data. On the vertical, we’re about 125, and on the second vertical, we reached about 175 G maximum. You can zoom in, we can see the bouncing. Not really much more peak force than it was on the two-foot drop. And the Bolt is still working just fine.

Four-Foot Drop Test

Now we’re going to do the four-foot drop test. Gonna take the Bolt, remove it from power. We’re gonna start in horizontal orientation from four feet. Now vertical in one orientation. And vertical in the other orientation. Power it back up, and it’s been recording this data. We will extract this data from the accelerometer and take a look.

Here is the four-foot drop data. Again, we see the three drops: the horizontal, vertical, vertical. We’re reaching a maximum G-force of about 125 on horizontal. The first vertical drop only topped out at about 60 Gs, and then the second vertical drop was almost 250 G. You got a good, good bounce or good hit that time. We see a lot of bouncing there. And the Bolt is still working just fine.