Embry-Riddle Receives Software Contributions for EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future
Daytona Beach, FL, November 29, 2011
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University students are “tooling up” for training and analysis on the EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future program, thanks to a series of in-kind software donations from participating companies. Software makers Siemens, dSpace, CD-Adaptor, Free scale, and the Mathworks have all made substantial software and computer hardware contributions for student use on the program. Together the companies’ contributions have a commercial value in excess of $60 million.
“The software support we receive with EcoCAR 2 is outstanding. Our students gain access to the most advanced engineering software available,” says Marc Compere, assistant professor of mechanical engineering and the EcoCAR 2 faculty advisor. “This makes our team extremely competitive, improves their education, and also makes them highly marketable for engineering jobs when they graduate.”
Brian Harries, graduate student team lead of Embry-Riddle’s Eco Eagles team says, “Our hardware-in-the-loop system from dSpace is just like what the engineers use at GM. We have nearly everything that dSpace and the Mathworks make for hardware-in-the-loop development. We have all the tools we need to succeed.”
Embry-Riddle is one of 15 North American engineering schools participating in EcoCAR 2: Plugging into the Future, a three-year competition sponsored by the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and General Motors (GM) that offers students real-world experience in an effort to educate the next generation of automotive engineers.
“Through hands-on learning, the EcoCAR 2 competition gives us the opportunity to develop valuable skills that will prepare us for careers as the next generation of clean vehicle engineers,” Harries said. “We are excited our team was selected to participate in EcoCAR 2.”
EcoCAR 2 challenges university students to reduce the environmental impact of a 2013 Chevrolet Malibu, donated by GM, without compromising performance, safety, and consumer acceptability.
During the program, teams will follow a real-world Vehicle Development Process (VDP) modeled after GM’s VDP. The VDP serves as a roadmap for the engineering process of designing, building, and refining advanced technology vehicles. Following a VDP will give the EcoCAR 2 teams an opportunity to improve the efficiency of their vehicles while meeting the technical goals of the competition.
During the three-year program, General Motors will provide production vehicles, vehicle components, seed money, technical mentoring, and operational support. The U.S. Department of Energy and its research and development facility, Argonne National Laboratory, will provide competition management, team evaluation, and technical and logistical support. By sponsoring Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions, GM and the DOE are developing the next generation of scientists and engineers.
More information about EcoCAR 2 is available on the competition website and blog, Flickr stream, Facebook page, and Twitter.
Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, the world's largest, fully accredited university specializing in aviation and aerospace, is a nonprofit, independent institution offering more than 40 baccalaureate, master's and Ph.D. degree programs in its colleges of Arts and Sciences, Aviation, Business and Engineering. Embry-Riddle educates students at residential campuses in Daytona Beach, Fla., and Prescott, Ariz., and through the Worldwide Campus with more than 150 locations in the United States, Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The university is a major research center, seeking solutions to real-world problems in partnership with the aerospace industry, other universities and government agencies. For more information, visit http://www.embryriddle.edu, follow us on Twitter (@EmbryRiddle) and facebook.com/EmbryRiddleUniversity, and find expert videos at YouTube.com/EmbryRiddleUniv.
