Haynes Publishing are proud sponsors of Bath Goblins.
... "my daughter has thoroughly enjoyed the whole project and now wants to be an engineer!" ... "simply the best club ever" ... "thank you, it's been totally brilliant from start to finish!" ...
The IET Greenpower Goblin project is an exciting national STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) project where primary school students aged 9-11 build and race their own electronic go-kart. Typically run as an after school or lunchtime club, the students work as a team to assemble the go-kart kit and then design and build the bodywork out of recycled materials such as cardboard.
Once complete the students then race their go-kart against other schools in both local and national competitions – the highlight of the season being the annual ‘Gathering of Goblins’ at the world famous Goodwood race track in July. On competition day the races include drag, slalom, sprint and pit-stop wheel changes, with lots of opportunities for different team members to take a turn at driving.
At the end of the season the go-kart is dis-assembled and completely recycled, so that it can then be used by a new set of students the following year. The kits are not difficult to assemble using basic hand tools such as spanners and allen keys – if you can build a LEGO set or some IKEA furniture you can also build a Goblin Go-kart, and the local Bath Goblins team can always assist if you get stuck! The kit will take approximately 10 one hour sessions to build, and can be built in a classroom or school hall.
The go-kart kit is loaned free of charge to the school –all the school needs to provide is free recycled materials for the bodywork such as cardboard, plastic bottles or even crisp packets!
If you would like to setup a club at your primary school for next year please first speak to the headteacher for their approval and then ask the school office to contact us. The loan Goblin go-kart kits are available from September each year. We’d also love to hear from local business who may wish to sponsor a kart – you will get some great local publicity as well as helping spark an interest in STEAM activities within our future generation! The IET Greenpower Goblin competition is organised by the Greenpower Education Trust charity (www.greenpower.co.uk), with the Bath area events supported by the local Bath Goblins team.
School Teams & Sponsers
We have 12 Goblin kits available for loan to local schools. These kits are all generously sponsored by the businesses listed below, so are supplied free of charge to the schools.
Team: This could be your school
This could be your sponsor for 2020
Team: This could be your school
This could be your sponsor for 2020
Team: This could be your school
This could be your sponsor for 2020
What happens on competition day?
On race day spectators are very welcome and are expected to cheer on their teams loudly - bring camping chairs and picnic blankets to setup a ‘base camp’ alongside the race track. You will require a packed lunch/drink and (at Bath and Goodwood) the café will also be open for refreshments. Please dress for the weather, you will be outside all day. Small gazebos may also be used if rain is forecast for the race day. Emergency spares (tyres, drive bands, fuses etc) will be available to purchase on race day from the event organisers if you need them. No battery charging is allowed on site – there is no need, a fully charged battery easily last all day.
Drag race
A straight dash to the end
A straight dash to the end of a straight course, this event tests the Goblin’s engineering, pusher’s response time and the driver’s bravery. Each team has 6 attempts, only the best time counts. Watch the video here.
Slalom
Driver skill
A test of the driver’s skill and the Goblin’s steering and brakes. Drive through the cones and then park accurately in the ‘garage’. Penalties are added to the time for each cone touched. Each team has 6 attempts, only the best time counts. Watch the video here.
Sprint
A real race!
A knock out competition where 3 or 4 cars compete in a head to head battle around a full lap of the race track. The winners of each heat move forward to the semi-finals and then the final. Who has the fastest Goblin and most skilled drivers? Watch the video here.
Pit-stop
Just like F1 !
Which team can remove all 4 wheels and then replace them, with all fastenings in the correct order, in the quickest time? Watch the video here.
Portfolio
Supporting documentation
Each car should have a portfolio showing a log of the build and any other paperwork (sponsors letters etc.). Each portfolio handed in is worth 5 points to the team, and the best portfolio wins another 2 points and trophy.
Awards
Team Awards
There are also separate awards for best presented team (dress and conduct), best bodywork design, greenest bodywork design and overall winner.