So as you know from thoroughly reading each one of my blog posts to date... Just kidding, no one does that. I'll just tell you.

I've TEMPORARILY set aside my smart car motor and controller until the software hack is complete. In the meantime I am using a forklift motor and an old Kelly controller. This is a simpler system and much less amazing in lots of ways but the motor spins, which is good.

There's the background. Here's the update.

I'm working with a friend of mine at Worcester Polytechnic Institute to get a custom transmission input shaft made with a spline for the smart car motor. He and I drew it up in SolidWorks based on measurements that I'd taken from the Sonett transmission input shaft and the female splines on the smart car motor.

Just the other day he 3d printed the first prototype to check dimensions. It fits! He is going to machine the next prototype and then we're going with chromoly or something equally awesome.

Here is the shaft in the smart car motor. In order to 3D print it he had to make it in four pieces but it seems to be fitting great!