In the Michigan State University College of Engineering, the secret to training practice-ready engineers lies in experiential learning. An excellent example of how that "practice” plays out beyond the classroom is the MSU Baja Racing team. This 60-person, student-run group is challenged to design and hand build an off-road vehicle that will survive the severe punishment of rough terrain and in some competitions, water.
Races are organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers’ Baja SAE. This international student organization helps to promote experiential learning by providing team challenges in designing, engineering, building, and racing a single seat all-terrain vehicle.
According to Max Fried, MSU Baja Racing team chief engineer and a mechanical engineering senior, “In our classes we cover foundational concepts in strength analysis, kinematics, and physics, but applying it to a vehicle adds complexity. For example, we took a class that focused on designing basic structures on CAD software, but on the team, we take it to the next level by applying it to a full vehicle. It’s design and assembly from the ground up.”
In addition to vehicle design and manufacturing, team leadership also handles all the business aspects of running the team. This includes project management, manufacturing schedules, procurement, travel arrangements, budgeting and acquiring corporate sponsorships.
Fried said interacting with sponsors can vary a lot. "Some companies, like GM, Toyota, and Ford, will actually come to the facility to check it out to see what we're up to. Toyota had us at their R&D facility in Ann Arbor last year. They sat us down in front of a bunch of engineers, and they let us ask questions, and then gave us lunch and a tour of their facilities. We have some massive thank yous to give, and so we'll bring the car to sponsors, let them check it out and see what all their support has gone toward.”
After finishing their most recent competition season, the team hosted College of Engineering Interim Dean John Papapolymerou for a tour at the William A. Demmer Engineering Center. They showed him their process for designing and assembling the vehicle, finishing the tour with a demonstration of the 2024 vehicle.
“Clubs like this provide our students with invaluable hands-on experiences and bridge classroom concepts to real-world applications,” said Papapolymerou. “Engaging in these projects provides technical expertise, leadership and teamwork skills that will help propel students forward in their future careers.”
The chase to improve the vehicle never stops and is based on how their vehicle has performed during competition. Their 2024 vehicle nicknamed “Chuck” was designed to be more durable to improve upon the mechanical failures of their 2023 vehicle named “Jolly.”
“We beefed up our rear suspension design after the more lightweight one from last year’s broke during the Oshkosh event,” said Tom Gilbert, senior data acquisition lead and a mechanical engineering junior. “This design performed better in terms of durability but is heavier which I believe makes the handling of the vehicle suffer. Now we’re looking to improve our performance on the track.”
Another dimension of learning comes in the form of international relations. In addition to the US, teams in this circuit come from a variety of countries such as Mexico, India, Saudi Arabia, and Brazil. During the preparation for their last competition, held at Holly Oaks Offroad Parks in Holly, Michigan, the team worked with South Korea’s Wonkwang University Mechanism International Racing team.
“It was great having them over and exchanging knowledge between our vehicles,” said Fried. “They're from Seoul, and it's a very different environment over there than it is here. We got to learn from them and how they do things, and they were able to learn from us.”
The first two days of the competition were to ensure that the vehicle passed the tech inspection. The rest of the competition was spent competing in various dynamic events that test the strength, maneuverability, and speed of the vehicle.
“During races we’re going wheel to wheel, taking jumps that are four or more feet, I mean, we’re really going at it out there,” said Gilbert. “Competing gives us an opportunity to really grow from that experience in case anything does go wrong, and an opportunity to succeed when everything goes right.”
After the last trial ended, MSU Baja Racing team was ranked respectably at 18 out of the 86 teams that competed during that event.
This story originally appeared on the College of Engineering website.
