Human Powered Vehicle

Welcome to the home of UCSD’s Human Powered Vehicle team! Only a year old, the HPV team has made excellent strides in design and progress and we look forward to the coming year. There is plenty of room for new members and tons of hands-on opportunities that await those that contribute. Contact us now and get involved with the 2010 team!

The 2009 HPV team was the first UCSD team to compete in over a decade. Although no trophies were taken home, the team learned (the hard way) of what not to do and what to improve on for 2010. This year will be better!

The 2009 team consisted of six guys that did the work fit for a team of twenty. This leaves at least a dozen spots open for more people to come and get involved. Again, there is no set structure; WE build the vehicle from the ground up. If we don’t, no one will. The process is a blast. Watching the vehicle that YOU built roll down the street for the first time, to ride the vehicle YOU designed on paper is a thrill like no other. It’s one thing to learn about design in MAE3 but it’s another thing to apply that textbook knowledge and actually learn by doing.

Mission

To improve in both design and success from last year’s vehicle by solidifying a solid drive train and producing an aerodynamic shell that will enclose the vehicle.

Goals

Fall Quarter: Hash out rough designs and narrow our views down to one concept frame. The concept will then be taken apart and rebuilt on paper focusing on the parts that make it work and key design features that need to be present. Also the design of a full body fairing will be in play. Lessons in aerodynamics will be prominent and team members will learn the process of building and laying a mold.

Winter Quarter: Start building. Make a frame that rolls and have a mold of the fairing set and ready to be casted.

Spring Quarter: Lay the fiber glass for the mold and finish the last nuts and bolts that make the frame work flawlessly. Paint mold, check safety and get ready to compete.