My Personal Project - Peter Osborne

My name is Peter Osborne and for my Year 10 Personal Project, I have chosen to build an electric powered go-kart. As opposed to commercially used petrol go-karts, I have chosen to build an electric go-kart to outline the superiority of electric powered, and environmentally beneficial transport.

I have grown up in family that is incredibly passionate about building, designing and inventing various technologies, and is heavily involved in sustainable and environmentally beneficial practises. All my life, I have had a chance to build and feel strongly about converting to climate friendly renewable energy, and converting to electric power for transport. My Personal Project has acted as a gateway for me to merge both these passions into a project where I can both have fun in building an electric and climate friendly go-kart, that hopefully inspires others to adopt environmentally friendly and sustainable practises; not to mention the fun there is to have once it is built.

The Year 10 Personal Project is an incredibly long adventure, that to some feels like a chore. However, I believe I can use it to both have tremendous fun and enhance my skills in a profound variety of ways. This project allows me to integrate engineering and digital design skills, global politics and physics skills, allowing me to use the knowledge I have learnt in these classes to produce a better final product.

I am currently at the stage of rewiring the electrical components of my go-kart to improve the safety and reliability. I will soon recoat the frame and bumpers and perhaps purchase a new set of wheels, allowing for my gokart to work reliably and look aesthetically pleasing. Over the course of designing and building the go-kart, I have learnt to use a variety of new tools, such as the welder, the circular drop saw and the soldering iron.

My Personal Project has allowed me to become more mechanically inclined and has significantly improved my time management skills. This term I am required to write up my essay and complete any last touches to my go-kart. I am happy with where I am and am incredibly excited to soon use my finished electric go-kart!