By Lance Hamner
UVSC''s Engineering Graphics and Design Technology department hosted a 3-D model car derby competition Monday (May 7, 2007) for high school and junior high school students in the Utah Valley area.
Approximately 150 students participated.
The competition resembled a high-tech pinewood derby where students designed their cars first with hand drawings and then used 3-D computer technology to make a prototype.
Special machines were used to create the actual car in ABS plastic.
'This adds a whole new element to design competitions we have had in the past, said Steve Trane, professor of engineering graphics and design and organizer of the event. 'Instead of just judging the model design, students are now given the opportunity to test out their prototype and see what it''s really made of.'
UVSC''s school of Technology provided the track, which electronically records the speed of the cars and the amount of time it takes to cross the finish line. Cars averaged speeds around 150 to 200 mph.
Students'' cars were not only judged on speed, but on model design and drawing quality as well.
'Someone could feasibly win the race, and yet not end up not winning the competition,' said Gordon Stokes, associate dean of the School of Technology and Computing.
Gary Roberts, a drafting design teacher from Wasatch High School, had 40 students from his classes attending the event. He said many students are dedicated enough to come in after school to work on their cars, putting more than 10 hours into a car design.
Students get the opportunity to use Solidworks or Autodesk Inventor, which is the same software that is used in the technology design industry. Solidworks is the same software program that was used to design the Catapult ride at the Lagoon amusement park.
Dillan Mair, 15, a ninth grade Wasatch Mountain Junior High student, said he spent three to four weeks designing his prototype.
'My car did pretty good,' he said. 'The race was fun with everyone cheering.'
This is the first year UVSC has sponsored a 3-D model car derby. The demand for students with an education in engineering graphics and design is extremely high and UVSC hopes to attract more students by sponsoring such events.
'Students with an associates degree have 100 percent employment and there is actually a waiting list of people to hire these students,' Stokes said.