United States | Sept 2016 - May 2020

Georgia Tech Off-Road

My university preoccupation | BAJA SAE Competitive Design Series Team

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Overview

GTOR are Georgia Tech's premier team competing in the BAJA SAE Collegiate Series. Every year, the team designs, builds and races a single-seat off-road racing buggy where each team gets the same single cylinder engine. The team functions as a small business, managing sponsors and expenses, engineering operations, recruitment, and participation in competitions across the US. During my amazing four years with the team, I took on roles in manufacturing, the position of Chief Engineer (CE), and helped create a robust new arm of the team focused on Data Acquisition.

Anyone who has been on these teams knowwhat kind of commitment they are; GTOR sometimes demanded 30+ hours each week in addition to university work. Coming out of it, I had well exercised skills in real world mechanical design and engineering project management, and of course great memories with even greater friends. I was elated when the culmination of our efforts when I was CE took car 102 (pictured) to 7th place nationally at Louisville's Midnight Mayhem competition - a transformation from the >70th place rank of pervious competitions.


Some Highlights:

    Data Acquisition and Validation Lead (Jan 2019 – May 2020):
  • Led R&D, field testing procedures, post processing strategies, procurements and general subsystem direction

  • Researched, tested and integrated analog, digital sensors with MCU based DAQ instruments; create documentation

  • Created two iterations of DAQ platform; Teensy based; water resistant; reconfigurable I/O, RF telemetry, >3kS/s rate

  • Ground-up designed & built adjustable LabVIEW operated shock dynamometer for shock characterization, tuning

  • Programmed MATLAB analysis scripts; model validation fitting, fatigue statistics, load-cases, eCVT controls settings

  • Consulted with design engineers to develop validation experiments, data requirements, mechanical system models

    • Chief Engineer (2019 design cycle):
  • Highest level technical authority, advice; managed systems integration, new technologies, engineering process

  • Created first multiphase design review process; analyzing designs, CAE studies, DfM considerations, cost, risk

  • Spearheaded chassis-suspension design process; FEA optimized, resultant 7%, 21% weight reductions, no major failures

  • Built parametric suspension models, load-case generators in MATLAB; designed validation tests, DAQ projects

  • Co-led team ops, communications, relations, recruitment, events, competitions and training

    • Manufacturing Lead (2017-18):
  • DfM advising, expanding CNC capabilities, training, machining, quality testing