In the last week of class every semester, the first-floor hallway outside of the ME Instructional Machine Shop gets rowdy. It’s time for the MEGN 201 Derby Car races! It’s a rite of passage for every MEGN 201 student, as they are placed in teams that are then required to design and build a derby car that is raced against other teams in their class. Cars that go the farthest and fastest gain bonus points for the team’s grade on the assignment. Each team designs a pocket on top of the car where a 3D printed plastic “rider” sits. Bonus points for any team whose driver survives the race (i.e., stays on top of the car through the finish line). The derby car is the capstone project for the class – showcasing student skills on the manual mill and lathe, as well as with SolidWorks design drawings. It also requires students to properly dimension their design drawings with engineering tolerances.
Check out the Fall 2021 races on YouTube! 