{"id":163692,"date":"2016-06-01T13:39:34","date_gmt":"2016-06-01T17:39:34","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/?p=163692"},"modified":"2016-10-13T14:26:52","modified_gmt":"2016-10-13T18:26:52","slug":"baja-races-take-students-design-organizational-skills-off-road-163692","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rochester.edu\/newscenter\/baja-races-take-students-design-organizational-skills-off-road-163692\/","title":{"rendered":"Baja races take students\u2019 design, organizational skills off road"},"content":{"rendered":"

\u201cWith an impressive \u2018war cry,\u2019 Nick Van Swol started his team\u2019s all-terrain vehicle down an obstacle-strewn course in Auburn, Alabama\u2014and almost immediately ran out of bounds. Undeterred, Nick returned later that afternoon, and with an even more impressive war cry not only finished the course but placed 26th among 100 teams competing in the event.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n

University Baja SAE team members have traveled to Auburn; Pittsburg, Kansas\u2014even as far as Portland, Oregon, last spring\u2014to race the all-terrain vehicles they design and build against student teams from other universities.<\/p>\n

From June 9 to 12, however, they\u2019ll compete in their own back yard, when Rochester Institute of Technology hosts a Baja SAE competition that will attract 100 teams, including 28 from other countries.<\/p>\n

The competitions are the culmination of months of effort that engage students not only in designing and building a vehicle, but also generating financial and in kind support from outside sponsors and managing their educational priorities.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is the conclusion of an engineering project that began in the summer of 2015; seeing the final product in action,\u201d said team president Kevin Bonko \u201917, a mechanical engineering major. \u00a0\u201cNothing can describe the excitement or awe one feels in seeing something that you designed, you manufactured, and you tested.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cOur expectation is to finish at the top of a very competitive field.\u201d<\/p>\n

Rochester team members will also serve as student ambassadors for a team from India, which will assemble its vehicle in the Fabrication Studio at Rettner Hall during the week of the competition.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re very excited to host Team Helios,\u201d says Alycia Abbott \u201916, a biomedical engineering major from Pembroke, New Hampshire, who was the Rochester team president the last two years.\u00a0 The students will provide space, tools, and camaraderie during the vehicle\u2019s assembly, and will help transport the India team’s truck to the competition venues.<\/p>\n

The first two days of the competition will feature \u201cstatic\u201d events, including engine checks, technical inspections, brake inspections, sales presentations, and a design competition at RIT\u2019s Gleason Auditorium, as teams compete against one another to have their design accepted for manufacture by a fictitious firm.<\/p>\n

The final two days of \u201cdynamic\u201d events at the Hogback Hill Motocross in Palmyra will include grueling hill climb, acceleration, suspension, and maneuverability competitions on June 11 that test specific aspects of a vehicle\u2019s engineering, followed by a four-hour endurance race on the 12th<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis is a very unique experience for us, having the opportunity to compete in our own backyard,\u201d Bonko said. \u201cOther than not having to coordinate hotels and long-distance travel, the main advantage to being in Rochester is having access to our shop in case we absolutely need something.\u201d<\/p>\n

Last-minute glitches, unexpected delays, and equipment failures are the norm at the competitions, which puts a premium on organization and teamwork. The Rochester team is led by an executive board, consisting of the team president, business manager, chief engineer, and chief mechanic. They are also part of the team\u2019s design board, which includes six project team leaders who each manage a specific aspect of the car, such as drivetrain, suspension, electronics, frame, usability, and exterior design.<\/p>\n

The challenge each year is to come up with engineering refinements that strike a balance between speed, maneuverability, strength\u2014and safety.<\/p>\n