ERAU EcoCar Mobility Challenge

10/02/2022

Hello everyone!
We hope you all were safe during Hurricane Ian. It was a scary time but we are hopeful for a speedy clean up of Daytona Beach and Florida aswell. We are sending out our love and support to anyone who has been affected by this tragedy. We also would like to thank everyone that came out to the activity fair to see us. We hope we answered a few of your questions. Monday, October 3 @6:30 pm we will be holding an informational meeting. You will be able to meet all of the team leads and learn about the different positions. We hope that you can make it! If you cannot make the meeting, there will be a recorded version of the meeting open for viewing.

09/12/2022

🚨 MAJOR MILESTONE 🚨 For the first time, eagles and wildcats came together to celebrate the collaboration undertaken for the EcoCAR EV Challenge ‼️ A lot has been building up to this… swipe to see who’s excited!!

05/14/2022

That time the Comms Manager tried to help out with VTI… he means well

05/13/2022

As we wrap up at the Desert Proving Grounds, we want to take a moment to recognise two of our teammates. Tara Gilligan and William ‘JOJO’ Trees were pivotal in getting the car through VTI (Vehicle Technical Inspection). We couldn’t have gotten the blazer up and running without you two! Thank you !!

05/13/2022

First week of competition wrapping up Desert Proving Grounds. Prepping for the Over the Road Event to Phoenix. Ready to ride through the desert !

04/26/2022

This will be our final Tuesday Teammate Spotlight and we saved the best for last. For our series finale we have Project Manager Brandon Carrier! Brandon has been a member of EcoCAR for 3 years and been pivotal in his time with the team. He wanted to share this message:

“I joined EcoCAR for my senior design project and never looked back. This competition has made me push myself further than I could have imagined. From building the vehicle's V2X functionality to developing the longitudinal control model, I have been able to contribute to the automated functionality of a full-size vehicle! I was honored to be promoted to Project Manager where I helped oversee the refinement of our system in preparation for the final competition. I owe my current and future success to the team for guiding me to become a well-rounded engineer, team member, and leader.”

Thank you for everything Brandon, we look forward to you leading us into the EV challenge!

04/19/2022

Time for a Tuesday Teammate Spotlight! This week we have one of our most valuable teammates, Rachel Abbott! Rachel is a graduate research assistant, working towards her Master’s in Mechanical Engineering. She’s been with the team for two years, starting in senior design calibrating the P0 inverter. Now her role is multifaceted from PCM, where she helps debug and fine tune the controller algorithms, and to CAVs, where she’s instrumental in developing the adaptive cruise control system. When asked to be spotlighted, she wanted to share this message about the team:

“Im really thankful for my time on EcoCAR because it has allowed me to grow both professionally and personally. It has opened the doors to a lot of new opportunities and experiences that have helped me learn and develop my skills as an engineer. I’m grateful for all of the people and opportunities I’ve been exposed to because of my involvement in EcoCAR.”

Rachel, thank you for being such an integral member of this team. So much wouldn’t happen without you!

04/12/2022

Time for another Tuesday Teammate Spotlight. This week we have Daniel Sully. Dan is a mechanical engineering Senior Design student and is the CAVs component of our PSI team. In addition to his academics, Dan is the Forward for the men’s basketball team. When asked about his time at Embry-Riddle, he had this to say:

“Throughout my years at Embry-Riddle I have learned to grow as a student, person, and player to the best version of myself. In my time of working on the EcoCar senior design project, I have gained tremendous experience from working on complex CAD models based off of the real world Chevy Blazer, which I believe has greatly impacted my knowledge for future careers ahead.”

Thank you for your dedication in your time at ERAU Dan.

04/11/2022

STEM Day 2022 was a blast at the Embry-Riddle Event Center today! We had a lively time engaging all the 6-12 graders and their families who came out! Can’t wait to do it again next year!

04/05/2022

It’s time for another Tuesday Teammate Spotlight. This week we have senior design, trunk team lead Tony Vastano. Tony is a mechanical engineering undergrad in his final semester. Along with the comedic relief he provides, Tony is one of the most consistent members of the team and always gets the job done. He wanted to share this about his time with EcoCAR:

“EcoCAR has given me a more professional understanding of working in teams to complete automotive design projects. It has helped me improve my skills of writing reports and analyzing proposed technical changes within a team of people before implementation. Working in two different projects within the team, I have had the chance to explore what I like to do and what I'd like to continue doing in the future.”

We’ll miss you Tony. Remember, you’ll always be an EcoEagle!

04/04/2022

Last Friday was no ordinary day of testing. We had a special guest come check out the blazer, Florida Congressman Waltz’s District Director Ernie Audino. Mr Audino was eager to see the work we do after we visited him at his office. It was a good day at the speedway!

03/29/2022

Hey Everyone! It’s Tuesday and we have another Teammate Spotlight for you. This week we have Jarod McCullough. Jarod is in the final semester of his Mechanical Engineering undergrad and one of our senior design students working on the half shaft team, which has seen a lot of action this year. Before he’s gone, he wanted to share this message to any prospective members:

“EcoCAR in many ways has helped me advance and hone the skills I have learned here at Embry-Riddle. The team gave me an opportunity to explore various avenues inside of the engineering discipline. Doing this ultimately helped me make a final decision on my career path, Manufacturing Engineering.”

Thank you for your contribution Jarod and we hope you’ll remember your time as an EcoEagle fondly.

03/22/2022

Time for another Tuesday Teammate Spotlight! This week we have Alex Davidoff! Alex is a sophomore studying software engineering and a member of our Connected and Automated Vehicles(CAVs) team. She wanted to share this message about her Embry-Riddle EcoCAR experience;

“EcoCAR has given me the opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and learn useful skills that appeared daunting at first. I have really enjoyed the time I have spent on EcoCAR, especially testing the LIDAR technology!”

Thank You for your years of service Alex! To many more!

03/16/2022

Members of the Embry-Riddle EcoCar team were fortunate enough to meet with Ernie Audino, Brigadier General, US Army(Ret) and Florida Congressman Mike Waltz's District Director. They had a positive discussion about advanced vehicle technology, the American automotive industry and energy efficiency/capabilities.

03/15/2022

Time for another Tuesday Teammate Spotlight! This week, we have Andi Stclair! Andi is a Human Factors Master’s Student and an integral member of our HMI team. She had this to say about her time as an EcoEagle: “Being a part of Embry-Riddle’s EcoCAR team has given me the tools to grow in my love for Human Factors. I would have never know the true implications of the field, specifically the interdisciplinary nature, without EcoCAR. I feel truly blessed to be a part of the team and I am forever thankful for the connections I have made along the way. “

Thank you for your consistent contribution Andi! Couldn’t do it without you!

03/08/2022

Today’s International Women’s Day and we want to take a moment to recognise and celebrate the contribution of the women on our team.

03/01/2022

Today’s Tuesday and that means it’s time for another Teammate Spotlight! We have a special one for you today! Mr Jeffrey Walker. Jeff is our Engineering Manager and the most hands on member of the team. Nothing goes on the car without his say so. In his final semester of his master’s degree, Jeff wanted to share a few words about his time as an EcoEagle:

“Being a part of Embry-Riddle’s EcoCAR team has given me an invaluable knowledge of the engineering process from start to finish that has prepared me for working in the automotive industry more than I could have ever imagined. I truly feel that without the experience I’ve gained throughout my three years on the team, I would not be nearly as well rounded of an engineer as I am today. Although, while the educational and professional development has been spectacular, I will forever cherish the life long friends and experiences I have gained along the way.”

When you look up team player in the dictionary, you get a picture of Jeff. Thank you for diligence through these last three years Jeff!

02/26/2022

We had a great time at the Community Expo hosted by the Black Homeschoolers of Central Florida! A great way to wrap up Engineering Week with some future engineers!

02/25/2022

It’s a beautiful day to celebrate engineering week! Stop by the Student Union and chat with us about the upcoming competition and the future of automotive technology. 🚙

02/22/2022

It’s time for another Tuesday Teammate Spotlight! This week it’s Andrea Howison! Andrea is our PCM lead and is in her final semester as a Master’s student. She is also the longest tenured member of the team. She had this to say about her time with EcoCAR. “I’m very thankful that being on Embry-Riddle’s EcoCAR team was a part of my college experience. Those experiences have enhanced my learning beyond what any class could provide. It's been a tough journey, but I'm definitely happy that I’ve stayed with this team for the past 4 years. When I started as a junior in year 1, I was assisting the controls, modeling, and simulation senior design team. Now at the end of year 4, I'm leading the propulsion controls and modeling team and it’s been a pleasure every step of the way!” Thank You for your dedication Andrea!

02/15/2022

We're starting a new series and that's Tuesday Teammate Spotlight! On our first edition we have Elaine Choy! Elaine is a Ph.D Candidate in our Human Factors department and our HMI Team Lead! When Elaine was selected for the spotlight, she wanted to share a few words about her experience as an EcoEagle:

"I'm absolutely in awe of the students and faculty in the Human Factors department. I was brand new to ERAU when I joined EcoCAR, so I had no idea what to expect. In just three semesters, we went from brainstorming ideas to developing an impressive learning prototype. I'm so thankful to be part of a team that constantly chooses to go above and beyond, utilizes everyone's strengths, and takes advantage of every learning opportunity. We are here to be competitive, but the outcome of Year 4 would just be the cherry on top. It's been an absolute honor leading, but mostly learning, from the HMI/UX Team.

Additionally, the field of Human Factors is growing, so we often find ourselves explaining what we do and why it's important. We did not have to do that with ANL. They saw the passion in our work and actively sought our feedback and recommendations. We have since provided insight on how we, as Human Factors professionals, can best serve the competition and GM in future challenges. I know I speak for the whole team when I say that we are so excited to see what's in store in EV and what impact we can make together."

Thank You for everything you do for the team Elaine! Couldn't do it without you!

02/12/2022

When you drop the 10mm in the engine bay.

02/05/2022

You walk past these cars all the time, now see what we do in the garage.

01/14/2022

It’s Race Day at New Smyrna Speedway!
——————————————————
The ERAU EcoEagles have an agreement that allows us to utilize this facility every week this semester! We are very thankful for our sponsors like for being gracious hosts of our team and our vehicle. Looking forward to a semester full of vehicle testing!

11/09/2021

Thanks for a successful stem fair and a great youth outreach opportunity for ERAU EcoCAR!

11/02/2021

CONGRATULATIONS to our very own Elaine Choy on joining the SLC for  Year 4! Click the link below to learn about the team responsible for guiding the future of AVTCs & ensuring team members’ voices are heard. 🚘🔋⚡️📈

https://bit.ly/3GGst7B

10/28/2021

Have you heard of our PM’s amazing back story? Click this link to read more about it https://news.erau.edu/career-services/co-op-intern-spotlight-robert-consolo-jr

10/19/2021

Fall WAVE 👋🏼 ✅

10/05/2021

See you in Milford!

09/29/2021

MEETING CHANGE: Today’s interest meeting has been RESCHEDULED for today at 6PM in COAS 406! Come out to get more information on EcoCAR and apply to join!

09/20/2021

Do you remember touring the school and seeing EcoCAR and saying, I want to do that?! Well now is the time! Help us finish out EcoCAR Mobility Challenge and prepare for a new competition by joining the team and putting your skills to the test!!

09/13/2021

Want to learn how to engineer a production level vehicle and make automotive industry connections? Keep an eye out on our social media next week to find out how to join us!

09/08/2021

Interested in joining EcoCAR? Keep an eye out on social media for how to join this semester during the activities fair!

09/02/2021

Those beautiful BBS wheels get your attention? Good now that you’re here listen up! Recruitment will be opening up again soon and if you’re interested in joining our team pay attention to our social media for updates on recruitment meetings coming up at the end of this month!

07/29/2021

Our teammates are killing it both here and in industry! Enjoy the internship Andrea, and can’t wait to see you back at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University - Daytona Beach Campus this Fall for Year 4!

06/09/2021

Congratulations to Patrick Currier for the Outstanding Faculty Advisor Award and Andrea Howison for the Women on Stem Award!!

04/29/2021