BY: Ashley Yost, Communications Manager for the Arizona State University EcoCAR 3 team
Educating the next generation of automotive engineers can be a difficult task. EcoCAR 3 is a competition that allows large industry partners to support students and universities in this highly competitive 4-year project. Headline sponsors U.S. Department of Energy and General Motors lead the way while other sponsors provide assistance in software and hardware needs.
The focus is on design of the vehicle during Year One of the competition. For high-powered computing, modeling, and simulation of vehicles, Arizona State University’s students are utilizing the MathWorks programs MATLAB and Simulink.
MathWorks is a large supporter in Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC). A press release from 2014 explained why MathWorks finds value in supporting these competitions. Paul Smith of Consulting Services at MathWorks stated:
“Student competitions are a great hands-on, project-based learning opportunity that challenges our next generation of engineers with real-world technical problems. Students gain valuable experience with the hardware and software used in professional environments in solving everyday engineering problems.”
Being a first-time competitor in AVTCs, Arizona State’s team is beyond grateful for the support from all sponsors involved.
