The Alligator Car

An early engineering project that taught me the value of strategic thinking over brute force. As part of a freshman engineering course, teams competed in a tug-of-war challenge with strict power limitations (two mousetraps and/or rubber bands). While most teams focused on building the strongest car, we took a step back and asked: what actually wins this competition?

Strategic Approach:

• Noticed most teams were optimizing for power and mass
• Realized the win condition was flag position, not pulling force
• Decided to focus on grabbing line quickly rather than pulling hard
• Found a rule interpretation others had missed

Design:

• Built a mechanical arm to rapidly capture slack in the line
• Added ratcheting teeth to hold position when pulled backward
• Balanced power, weight, and stability constraints
• Prioritized features that supported our grab-and-hold strategy

Result: We won the tournament by changing the game. Instead of trying to out-pull everyone, we grabbed the line fast and dug in. This project stuck with me because it demonstrated something I still believe: understand what actually matters, look at what others are doing, and find a different angle rather than just trying to do the same thing slightly better.