Human Powered Vehicle Team Finishes First, Racks Up Trophies

The 2015-16 Human Powered Vehicle design team members with faculty adviser Dr. Scott Sawyer, associate professor of mechanical engineering (right).

The College of Engineering's Human Powered Vehicle (HPV) design team finished first at the 2016 HPV East Competition held at Ohio University last weekend. Teams from more than 30 colleges and universities participated in the competition.

"Student design teams offer a unique opportunity to work on a project from concept to completion," says Jeremy Marcum, the HPV team's co-captain and UA mechanical engineering student. "The value of this experience can be seen in how highly employers value hiring a student who has participated in a successful team.

According to Marcum, this year's HPV team began the design and construction of the vehicle 10 months before competition, and students spent, on average, 10 hours a week working on the vehicle in addition to their regular classes.

"This kind of teamwork and dedication to the ultimate goal is a perfect example of how everyone worked together during the preceding 10 months," says Marcum. "Our faculty adviser, Dr. Sawyer, has been a huge help to the team through his advising and assistance throughout the year." 

When they arrived at the competition on May 13, the team learned that the judges decided to test a portion of the vehicle that was not anticipated. The vehicle had to be partially disassembled, and team members worked through the night to ensure the vehicle would be ready for competition.

The results prove the effort was well worth it. The team finished:

• First place overall
• First in the women's drag race
• First in the innovation category
• First in the endurance race
• Second in the men's drag race
• Fourth in the design report category