Balloon-Powered Car – 3-Year Prototype Champion

This high-performance balloon-powered car features a streamlined design built for distance and stability. It uses four wheels mounted on two rear brackets and a single front bracket, all connected with lightweight kebab skewers to reduce drag. A punch balloon with a 1-meter circumference provides the thrust, secured at the front bracket with an elastic band to prevent swaying during motion. To minimize friction, graphite lubrication is recommended on all moving parts. After three years of iterative prototyping and optimization, this design won first place at a university-level competition—achieving over 40 feet of travel in a single run.