Capstone Design Experiences Using Competition Vehicles

During the 1994-95 academic year, students from the Purdue University School of Engineering and Technology at IUPUI designed and constructed an electric race car. The purpose of this project was to participate in a competition series with other engineering schools. The design and construction of this vehicle represents a substantial investment of capital and as well as a substantial investment of time by students, faculty, and administrators. The return on this investment was the development of an educational tool which students could utilize for real world design projects. This paper discusses the use of this educational tool as a platform for capstone design projects and other design oriented activities. Also, the use of this vehicle as a research platform is discussed.