Solar fueled mini-est toy cars: Vrooming in the sun
A new breed of cars with distinguishing features have hit the market. These are among the tiniest cars (toys in fact) that propel themselves without any batteries.The cars are low-tech having a tiny solar array on the top. Making use of the solar energy, these power themselves and vroom across the room. There is a great variety among these cars which measures about an inch or two in length and is mostly available as DIY kits. The design is pretty simple with a pager motor, solar cells and some soldering.
'Green' design and concept
The original car is just a 'bare' car in the sense that it has a single piece plastic body with a solar panel and a motor that powers it. This implies that the concept and design are both very simple and 'green'. In the presence of strong light, the toy will move on its own. BY adding a little innovation on your own, you can ensure that the car can store energy for use in the 'non-sunny' periods. This involves adding a battery pack, a boost converter and a control circuit. A push is enough to get the car running and a slight obstacle will bring it to a halt. Each car weighs about 33 gm and has the dimension of 2.3 inches by 1 inch by 0.8 inches. The body, the wheels, the solar panel and the tiny motor come separately packed and you can create cars by assembling any combination.
Why is it great?
This little product is great in 3 ways:
- The car is a DIY product. This means that the children get to improve their skills of cognition, understanding and co-ordination as they assemble their own little cars. This is a good way to teach youngsters about permutation and combination. A note of caution here. Since there are very tiny parts included, these present choking hazards and therefore, the toy is not meant for infants and toddlers.
- Teaching the new generation about the importance of renewable sources of energy is very important. It is better that this education starts young. These little toys present a good and innovative way to impress the value of going 'green' in the little ones.
- Even though the assembly is pretty simple, the kit comes along with a detailed instruction manual. This ensures that anyone will be able to assemble and play with these toys.
Cost: $2.9
