Human-powered vehicle student project at UOIT gets another boost

Students in the Faculty of Engineering and Applied Science (FEAS) at the University of Ontario Institute of Technology (UOIT) are moving another step closer to developing a human-powered vehicle (HPV). The Capstone project involving four fourth-year Mechanical and Automotive Engineering students and five students in different years of various other Engineering programs has garnered a second donation of $1,500 from the Society of Tribology and Lubrication Engineering (STLE), an international professional engineering organization.

The innovative effort by FEAS students is being supervised by Dr. Atef Mohany, Assistant Professor, FEAS. The HPV is a bicycle at its core, with the sole source of power being the rider’s leg muscles through a familiar system of pedals, gears and chains. Ultimately the goal of the HPV project is to reduce carbon footprint and promote a healthy lifestyle.

UOIT is one of just two Canadian university teams participating in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers HPV World Challenge. The students’ team (Bernard Pathmanathan; Shafeen Karim; Rakib Hasan; Annas Shaikh; Alexander Levenko; Matt Gajkowski; Stephen Singh; Michael Zhang; and Talal Muhammad) has been acquiring off-the-shelf components and building a test rig to determine the ideal position for achieving maximum power, comfort and visibility. Computer simulations in a virtual wind tunnel have helped the team optimize its design for efficiency, rider visibility and safety.

The STLE Toronto Section will pay for STLE student and faculty co-ordinator memberships. Student member benefits include free attendance at the STLE Annual Meeting in May 2013 in Detroit, Michigan.