What You'll Work On
Our Programs
Eleven specialized subteams. One car. Every discipline of engineering represented.
Aerodynamics
Our aerodynamics team develops the aero package from concept through track validation. Most of our efforts pertaining to this program involve studying new approaches and developing innovative ways to implement them. We evaluate our success in this field by gathering qualitative and quantitative data, and using that information to measure shifts and changes from our baseline measurements.
Business Operations
The Business Operations team includes business and marketing and is primarily responsible for purchasing, social media, team outreach, event planning, apparel design, car stickers, and the business presentation event.
Brakes and Driver Controls
The Brakes & Driver Control team at RIT Racing is responsible for designing, analyzing, manufacturing, testing, and assembling critical systems that connect the driver to the car. This includes the braking system, ensuring precise stopping power and control; the steering system, providing responsive handling and feedback; and the pedal box, optimizing driver ergonomics and performance.
Composites Manufacturing
The Composites Manufacturing group is responsible for the fabrication of all carbon fiber, kevlar, and non-machinable parts of the car.
Chassis
The Chassis group is responsible for the development and fabrication of the body of the vehicle and related structural components. They utilize carbon fiber in designs to maximize performance while conducting thorough analyses to keep our drivers safe.
CNC Manufacturing
The CNC manufacturing group is responsible for all non-composite components on the car that cannot be done manually. They primarily run 3 axis machines, but also have access to 4 and 5 axis machines for parts with very complex geometry.
Electronics
The Electronics group is responsible for the development of the low and high voltage electrical systems of the car. This includes harness design and manufacturing, PCB design, embedded systems, and data acquisition systems.
Electric Powertrain
The Electric Powertrain group is responsible for the design, assembly, and testing of the car's high-voltage battery, cooling systems, and drivetrain. They are also responsible for motor and controller selection and integration.
Metallic Fabrication
The Metallic Manufacturing team is responsible for teaching incoming new members how to use mills, lathes, and any other manual machining methods to create any parts necessary.
Suspension
The Suspension Team designs, builds, and tests the vehicle's suspension system including components such as the shock mounts, bell cranks, wheel centers, uprights, and a-arms. We also calculate the forces at each critical suspension point based on data given by the Vehicle Dynamics team. These forces are then used for structural analysis throughout the various systems of the car.
Vehicle Dynamics
The Vehicle Dynamics team studies how the car performs on track and develops the tools used to optimize it. Most of our efforts pertaining to this program involve studying new approaches and developing innovative ways to implement them. We evaluate our success in this field by gathering qualitative and quantitative data, and using that information to measure shifts and changes from our baseline measurements.
Development and Testing
Validation and testing is performed by every group on RIT Racing. This comes in the form of track testing in the parking lots of RIT, component testing in the materials labs and machine shops, and off site validation courtesy of our sponsors.