Age
The minimum age of the child for which the kit is designed.
Of course, this parameter is quite approximate, but it is still not recommended to deviate from it: a set that is too “adult” may turn out to be too complicated and even dangerous for a child (for example, small children tend to put various objects into their mouths, and toys with small details highly undesirable for them).
Now on the market there are kits for children of different ages:
from 1 year old,
2+,
3+,
4+,
5+,
6+,
8+.
Scale
The scale at which the car track or railway is made.
This indicator describes how many times the set items are smaller than real cars or trains; for example, 1:72 means a reduction of 72 times. Accordingly, the larger the number in the denominator, the smaller the scale and the smaller the individual elements of the set will be.
Track shape
The general shape of the autotrack track (see "Type"). Note that many traces allow a change in shape due to the rearrangement of individual sections; for such cases, the most complex shape that can be assembled from the elements of a set is taken into account — for example, a track assembled in the form of a figure eight or a ring belongs to the "eights". Specific form options may be as follows:
—
Direct. Routes of the simplest direct form; may have ups and downs, but when viewed from above, the shape of such a track still turns out to be straight. Note that in addition to independent tracks, this category may also include accessories designed to complement existing sets.
—
Ring. Tracks without acrobatic elements, closed in a ring; usually have an oval shape. The simplest kind of tracks that allow you to arrange "endless" races are races with numerous laps.
—
Eight. A kind of circular tracks, closed in the form of a figure eight. This shape allows you to increase the length of the track without a significant increase in its overall dimensions. Also in this category are tracks in the form of a double eight, with four roundings — "petals".
—
Trick. Tracks designed to perform various tricks: loops, jumps, etc. Can have a custom design that allows you to change the or
...der of tricks at the discretion of the players. There are both straight and looped stunt tracks
— Multilevel. Tracks that have several "floors" with transitions between them. Note that there may be elevation differences on other types of tracks, in particular, stunt ones; however, in this case, it is precisely the presence of full-fledged levels that is implied — horizontal sections at different heights, between which cars can move. Among other things, such kits can be made in the form of multi-storey car parks.Number of cars
The number of cars included in the delivery set of the car track (see "Type"). Note that some manufacturers produce cars for their tracks separately, so if you wish, you can buy them in addition to the existing set. However, the number of cars often adjusts to the features of the track — in particular, the number of lanes.
Launching cars
The launch method provided for in the design. This parameter is indicated for auto tracks (see “Type”).
-
Launcher. Start using a mechanical system, which most often resembles a catapult in its operating principle: to start, you need to sharply press or hit a special button, the mechanism will give the machine a “kick” and set it in motion.
—
Speed controller. In this case, we mean a wired machine control panel; it may provide for speed adjustment, but there are tracks where the remote control serves only as a switch and the speed of the cars is not adjustable. Cars in such sets move along special guides, from which they receive power for movement.
—
Manual generator. Electrically powered tracks, in which each car receives electricity from its own manual generator. Such kits have two interesting features. Firstly, they do not require batteries: the electricity needed for movement is generated by turning the generator handle. Secondly, by changing the speed of rotation of the handle, you can change the speed of the machine. This is very convenient for competitions: the one who manages the generator more competently wins, ensuring maximum speed and at the same time not allowing the car to fly off the track. Therefore, tracks with this feature are usually two-lane (see “Amount of lanes”), and the cars in them move along
...special guides through which power is supplied to them.
— Inertial. Starting using an inertial mechanism installed in the machine itself. Such a mechanism is essentially an accumulator of kinetic energy; Such a battery is usually “charged” by pulling the car back, after which it is enough to release it - and the inertial mechanism will give the car a powerful push, allowing it to go the entire route at once. The inertial principle of operation is found mainly in stunt tracks (see “Track shape”).
- Motion Sensor. A rather unusual way to start and control: the machine is equipped with an electric motor and a built-in sensor that can track the user’s movements. To start moving, you need to wave your hand over the sensor, and the faster you wave, the higher the speed. The motion sensor is convenient because it allows you to do without unnecessary remote controls and wires; it requires certain “extra movements”, but this is usually not a problem for children, who for the most part are already energetic and restless.
— Electric motor. As a rule, in this case we mean an electric motor installed directly into the car, although there are also more specific options (such as a mechanism with a pair of rotating rollers installed on the track and giving an impulse to the car every time it passes through it). Note that the built-in electric motor is often powered not by batteries, but by a supercapacitor, and before starting to move, the machine must be installed on a charger in order to accumulate energy in the supercapacitor.
— Barrier. In this case, a barrier is a device that blocks a highway and opens at the press of a button or lever. This type of start is used mainly in stunt tracks, where the car gains acceleration while rolling down an inclined slope. The start is located at the beginning of the descent, and a special stopper blocks the road, preventing the car from sliding down, and when the barrier is “opened,” this stopper is removed and the car rolls down the hill freely. - Manual. The auto track does not have any special mechanism for starting and moving: you need to move the cars exclusively with your hands. This option is found mainly in sets for the younger age category, which are designed for the most simple games.
