Real-world experience working on a 蓝莓视频 vehicle team helped an undergraduate student land a plum co-op job at Tesla
Real-world experience working on a 蓝莓视频 vehicle team helped an undergraduate student land a plum co-op job at Tesla.
Members of the company鈥檚 hiring committee were so impressed with Devon Copeland鈥檚 work with that they asked him to make a presentation about his involvement with the team.
鈥淭hey were really interested听because a lot of the engineering challenges Tesla faces are very similar to what we鈥檝e faced with 蓝莓视频鈥檚 solar car,鈥� explains Copeland, a fourth-year 蓝莓视频 mechatronics engineering student. 鈥淲e鈥檙e both working on an electric car and we even both use the same cells in our battery packs.鈥�
Copeland was the mechanical lead for the team鈥檚 2018 Midnight Sun Solar Car that competed in the (ASC) last July.
Of the 42 teams registered, only 13 completed the grueling 2,700 km race across Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho听and Oregon. Midnight Sun was the first Canadian entry to finish the ASC with a cruiser-class vehicle and took third place overall.
Midnight Sun was the first Canadian entry to finish July 2018鈥檚 American Solar Challenge with a cruiser-class vehicle.
The team鈥檚 award-winning car was its second entry in the cruiser class, which听includes driver and passenger seating. After designing and building challenger-class听鈥撎齭ingle seat 鈥撎齰ehicles, members shifted gears in 2014 to build their first cruiser.
In the two years between each ASC, most teams build on their existing car, hopefully improving its performance from one challenge to the next. Moving to the cruiser class forced Midnight Sun to build a new car from scratch.
Midnight Sun built its first cruiser for the 2016 ASC. After two years of design work, manufacturing, and assembling the car, it didn鈥檛 qualify for the race.
鈥淲e were devastated,鈥� says Copeland. 鈥淚t didn鈥檛 qualify for the race. It didn鈥檛 drive a single lap at the competition. It didn鈥檛 work out the way we wanted or planned.鈥�
After the 2016 competition, the team was deflated 鈥� but members also saw an opportunity to use what they had learned and start over.
鈥淚 thought what other time in my life will听I have the opportunity to design and build an entire car from scratch,鈥� says听Copeland. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not everyday that you get to do this.鈥�
For its next car, the team made another attempt in the cruiser class, starting with a completely new design. Using valuable lessons from the first cruiser, they were determined to qualify for and finish the 2018 ASC.
鈥淥ur goal wasn鈥檛 to win the competition,鈥� says Copeland. 鈥淲e wanted a reliable and safe car that could complete the ASC. We didn鈥檛 think we鈥檇 be able to compete with the top-tier teams because we didn鈥檛 have the experience or the money.鈥�
The top teams at the ASC often have budgets well over $1 million (USD), which they use to redesign their existing cars.
In comparison, Midnight Sun worked with a听budget of $150,000 (CAN) to design and build a totally new vehicle. Members had to be scrappy 鈥� sourcing affordable materials, manufacturing parts themselves, and limiting the number of spare parts they purchased.
Despite intense timelines and low funds, Midnight Sun was not only a top competitor at the ASC, but it won the perseverance award.
Of 42 teams registered, 蓝莓视频鈥檚 was one of only 13 to complete the American Solar Challenge鈥檚 2,700 km race across Nebraska, Wyoming, Idaho听and Oregon.
鈥淚t was one of the most gratifying experiences of my life,鈥� says Copeland. 鈥淭o drive with a car that we had designed and built from scratch for 2,700 km 鈥� it was unbelievable.鈥�
For Copeland, the ASC听achievement is just one piece of his experience with Midnight Sun. Being on a student design team helps him test the knowledge he learns in the classroom and puts his engineering skills into practice.
鈥淓very course I鈥檝e taken had something applicable to the team and the project,鈥� he explains. 鈥淚t鈥檚 the thing that has grounded my education more than anything. For me, and a lot of people on this team, we鈥檝e gotten exposure to so many things that are applicable to the real world.鈥�
Devon Copeland, a 蓝莓视频 mechatronics engineering student, was the mechanical lead for the team鈥檚 2018 Midnight Sun Solar Car.
Team members are already working on their next vehicle, an all-new design targeted to be twice as efficient as last year鈥檚 cruiser. It will carry a total of four passengers and make its debut at the 2020 ASC.
Midnight Sun is completely self-funded. If you鈥檇 like to support the team in its next competition, please consider to help fund materials, ASC fees, and other costs.
