Swansea University students gear up for student racing car event Formula Student 2018

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Engineering students from Swansea University will be competing at Silverstone this summer as Formula Student UK gears up for its 20th anniversary.

Formula Student challenges universities from across the world to design, build and race a single-seater racing car in one year. The cars are then judged on their speed, acceleration and endurance, while the teams are tested on their design, costing and business presentation skills.

Swansea University Race Engineering (SURE) has taken part in the Formula Student challenge since 2001, and will be competing against 129 other teams from over 30 different countries when they take to the track between 11-15 July 2018.

This year marks the first year that there will be a driverless element to the competition, FS-AI, with some teams being tasked with developing a cost-effective software package to enable an Artificial Intelligence (AI) car to make its own decisions, and evolve to improve its own performance. The new aspect of the competition ensures that Formula Student continues to support industry by addressing the skills gap and providing mechanical engineering students with the opportunity for real world experience of integrated electronics, software and systems engineering.

Swansea University Race Engineering (SURE) The international teams will be from Australia, Bulgaria, Canada, Croatia, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, India, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Jordan, Malta, Mexico, Norway, Pakistan, Palestine, Poland, Romania, Saudi Arabia, Spain, Sri Lanka, Sweden, Turkey, Ukraine and the USA.

Andrew Deakin, Chairman of Formula Student, said: “To design and build a competitive racing car in one year, whilst studying for a degree, is no mean feat. The level of innovation, commitment and ambition that the teams display is incredible and it’s very exciting to see their hard work pay off.

“Formula Student is more than just a university project; it’s a unique, hands-on experience that can launch a student’s career. Competitors learn about teamwork, delivering challenging technical targets on time and within a tight budget, and pushing the boundaries of what is technically possible. Many Formula Student alumni have progressed to work in professional motorsport, and are also highly valued in all sectors of industry, in disciplines such as aerospace, power industries and manufacturing”.

Hannah Bowen, a second year Aerospace Engineering student and operations director of Swansea University Race Engineering, said: “Our team has gone through a lot of big changes recently, with most of our experienced members leaving, and the arrival of our new engine, taken from a Yamaha MT-07, which has prompted a lot of other necessary changes. We're really looking forward to taking a lot of fresh faces to the competition, and re-establishing ourselves as a competitive and professional team in such an exciting competition”.