The U of A Formula SAE team has launched a crowdfunding campaign to help get to the finish line at races in the U.S. and Germany.
(Edmonton) This year, 22 University of Alberta undergrads will see their hard work hit the race tracks when they compete their race car in international competitions in the U.S. and Germany.
To help raise the $60,000 that goes into fabricating and racing their car, the University of Alberta's Formula SAE (Society of Automotive Engineers) team has launched a crowdfunding site and are calling on their community to help get them to the finish line.
Support the Formula SAE team today
For 20 years now, the University of Alberta's Formula SAE team has been building and competing small Formula-style race cars. The team took home prizes for the cost and business events in 2011 and 2012 and has spent the past few years building up their member and knowledge base, with plans to come back strong in 2018.
Robyn Murray, the Formula SAE project manager, says the team has been working hard this year to design a competitive car, implementing performance systems like a turbocharger and an aerodynamics package. "With over half of the senior design team graduating this year, we decided this was the year to push for success," says Murray, a mechanical engineering student.
Students' prototypes are evaluated on their potential as a production item for non-professional weekend autocross racer, but speed is not the only factor they have to consider in the competition. Students must produce a car that demonstrates exceptional mechanical capabilities - like accelerating, braking, handling - and features that increase its marketability, like aesthetics and comfort. They must also demonstrate budget management and the economic feasibility of their cars, drawing on their project management and business skills.
Murray notes that one of their biggest challenges this year has been to design high-performance components without blowing their budget.
From the initial stages of design to the day they race and pitch their business plans to the judges, students gain first-hand knowledge of the challenges involved with turning a design into a final product. They transform classroom knowledge into applied design solutions while learning valuable design, manufacturing, and fabrication skills. Though the majority of their members are from the Department of Mechanical Engineering, the team is rounded out with students from electrical, computer, and materials engineering, and other faculties like business. Working with a multidisciplinary team gives students a glimpse of what to expect in the real automotive industry.
Funds raised from the USEED Crowdfunding site will help the U of A Formula SAE team purchase the parts to fabricate their car, assist with workshop and equipment costs, and help to cover travel and competition costs, like entry fees.
To get the U of A Formula SAE team to the start line give today on their crowdfunding page.