With the PDR presentation and homecoming behind us, Ion Clad is looking forward to our next major milestone, prototype day. We presented several designs to Lithionics during the presentation, including both electrical architectures and mechanical designs. From the feedback we received, we have decided that we are going to develop two designs in parallel and see which one wins out in the end, based on testing we will do to determine which best fits our users’ needs.

Our first design will resemble a utility belt and be made up of several cylindrical batteries wrapped around the body. These batteries will be balanced by a BMS that will communicate power levels to the microcontroller, which will relay that information to the user.

The second design will be condensed around a single prismatic battery (which our sponsor Lithionics was happy to provide us during our presentation visit). Because there is only one battery, there is no need for a BMS to balance the system, so power levels and safety protections will be handled directly by the microcontroller.