I lead the Mechanical Team for UBC Solar for about two years starting in late 2014, and ending in early 2017. Over that time period we rebuilt the team from a low of 5 members back to a healthy size of ~30 members. During that time we also fabricated the bulk of the solar vehicle chassis.
The intent was to build a solar powered vehicle to compete in the 2016 American Solar Challenge: a highway race across the US, unfortunately we fell short of this. The vehicle is powered solely from its onboard solar array. I helped design the suspension of the vehicle and I was been in charge of its fabrication and installation. I also regularly specified mechanical components of the vehicle (bearings, springs, etc.), worked on electrical integration, and ran FEA(ANSYS) simulations to verify structural parts. Working on this project helped hone my fabrication skills, through time in the machine shop, given me an appreciation for the thorough testing, and taught me how to break down a complex task into accomplishable steps.
