2019-20 CU Boulder SAE Baja team. Top from left to right: Clement Tan, Alexander Smith, Tristan Briggler, Kelton Collins, Jack Uddenberg, Alex Tilmes, Benjamin Hanpeter. Bottom from left to right: Nicholas Gunter, A. Caio Gajdys, Afnan Al-haj, Robert Giannella, Ryan Weatherbee, Jacob Hunt
Each year, CU Boulder鈥檚 Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE)听Baja team competes with up to 110 different universities from across the world to engineer a single-seat, off-road vehicle, judged based on the team鈥檚 presentation of the vehicle as well as its performance in several dynamic events. This year, the CU听Baja team of 13 engineers were introduced to an upcoming, unprecedented change in the competition鈥檚 requirements to take place in 2021. All vehicles will soon be required to have four-wheel drive capabilities as opposed to the current two-wheel requirement.
Since the CU Baja team hasn鈥檛 implemented four-wheel drive in the past, this year鈥檚 team decided to conquer the challenge head-on in order to offer future Baja teams design references and an opportunity to build upon a repository of previous designs.
鈥淭he initial team response to the requirement change was to take a step back and ask what the new challenge meant for us,鈥� said Caio Gajdys, mechanical engineering senior and Baja team member.
鈥淲e understood the requirement wasn鈥檛 mandatory for this year, but it would be for the following year. We wanted to push the program to do something other teams haven鈥檛 yet. We鈥檙e in a position where we can accomplish this,鈥� he said.听
Gajdys is a part of the controls sub-team and also acts as the team logistics manager. His goal throughout the school year is to learn how to work effectively in a large team throughout a year-long, technically-challenging project.
This year鈥檚 team is motivated听to contribute to the program鈥檚 growing legacy at CU. While the SAE Baja competition has been taking place for the past 43 years, CU Boulder听has only been involved in the competition for five.听
鈥淚 want everyone to achieve their personal goals while the team鈥檚 cumulative goals are also being met,鈥� said Baja听Project Manager Alex Tilmes. 鈥淎s project manager, I have to trust that each of the sub-teams are able to come up with ideas that will last the entire endurance.鈥� Tilmes has worked with each team to facilitate the success of the design. 鈥淢y goal is to look through the designs and find any flaws while encouraging everyone to keep looking through the holes that people may poke.鈥� With a preliminary design review around the corner, this mentality is just what the team needs to move forward.
At the competition last year, the CU Baja team was unable to complete a lap in the endurance challenge,听the last event of the competition that tests how many laps the vehicle can drive in four hours. This year, the team hopes to overcome this barrier and become the first CU cohort in the past four years to complete the entire event. If successful, they would likely place within the top 30, setting a new record for CU Boulder.听
This year鈥檚 competition takes place in Louisville, Kentucky, a new location for the SAE Baja competition. 鈥淲e actually don鈥檛 even know what the terrain is going to look like since it鈥檚 different every year and it鈥檚 purely man-made,鈥� Tilmes said. 鈥淏eing ready for anything is going to be our key to success in completing endurance.鈥�
To ensure success in the competition, the Baja team seeks to first build a durable, functioning vehicle. Baja is split into several sub-teams tackling front suspension, rear suspension, drivetrain, chassis and controls. Each sub-team is responsible for engineering complex designs that can interface with the functionalities of other sub-team components. They must also manage their own financing and sponsorships to buy all necessary materials and build their vehicle鈥檚 design.
鈥淲e want to present ourselves in a way that drives companies to invest in the future of students who want to go into the automotive or mechanical industry,鈥� said Jacob Hunt, suspension sub-team member.
As a financial manager of the team, one of Hunt鈥檚 main goals is to build a lasting legacy for the program by connecting with new sponsors for the program. In order for the team to achieve this goal, they must expand their network of support.听
The CU Baja team receives significant support from the faculty of Design Center Colorado as well as Director Peter Himpsel, leading them to graciously receive financial and material sponsorships from Colorado Water Jet, EMJ Metals, McGuckin Hardware, NAPA Auto Parts, Polaris, SKF听and Stolle Machinery. The team hopes to continue building professional and personal relationships with those who would like to support the goals of the Baja legacy and are excited to see its growth.
听听听听听听听听听听听 If you are interested in supporting the SAE Baja program at CU, please contact Jacob Hunt about how you would like to contribute.
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