The university faculty that makes and races its own cars

“A love of mathematics and science is necessary — but not sufficient — to become a good engineer.”

These are the words of Professor Schalk Els from the Vehicle Dynamics Group housed in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) at the University of Pretoria (UP).

“Well-rounded engineering students need to be equipped for industry by being exposed to both practical and theoretical engineering challenges as they collaborate on hands-on projects,” said Els.

“This requires them to design, manufacture, and test their ideas to solve complex problems. They also have to learn to balance the responsibilities of daily life with passion-driven initiatives,” he added.

Cut to one of the most exciting projects seen taking place year-round on the UP campus, the TuksBaja.

TuksBaja is the UP’s BajaSAE® team, hosted by the Faculty of EBIT.

BajaSAE® is an international intercollegiate competition that challenges engineering teams to design, build, and test a compact, single-seater, off-road vehicle.

These vehicles are put through their paces in annual competitions held on challenging terrains that include steep hills and muddy lakes.

Els said that the primary goal of the competition is to cultivate practical skills in design, production, and management among the participants.

Students involved in the TuksBaja team undertake a variety of tasks that evolve as they gain experience, mirroring a progression from junior to senior roles.

First-year students, often arriving with enthusiasm for mathematics and science, are typically introduced to the team through a recruitment process around March each year.

Initially, they engage in basic, hands-on tasks such as disassembling an old car and addressing fundamental mechanical issues before reassembling it to get it running.

Els said that this initial experience provides them with a tangible connection to engineering and sparks excitement for the project.

As they progress, these junior members begin to manufacture simpler components for the off-road vehicle.

MyBroadband was taken to the workshop, where eager young students were learning to weld components.

“I have already fallen in love with engineering. I was unsure before, but being in the workshop is such a different ballgame,” remarked one student.

As students gain more experience and move into their senior years, their responsibilities and the complexity of their tasks increase significantly.

Senior students take on the crucial role of designing a complete car, using advanced simulation tools and experimental testing methodologies.

This encompasses various aspects of vehicle engineering, including finite element analysis and multi-body dynamics. They are also involved in more complex manufacturing processes, potentially utilising computer numerical control (CNC) machining and tig welding to fabricate the chromoly frame.

The testing and redesign of new components and the entire vehicle are also key responsibilities of senior team members, ensuring continuous refinement and improvement.

Across all levels, teamwork and collaboration are essential to the success of the TuksBaja project.

Els explained that students learn to work together to solve complex engineering problems, applying both practical and theoretical knowledge.

“TuksBaja has plans to compete in the USA in 2025,” said Els with a large smile on his face.

This marks their first in-person attendance in five years, where student teams from universities around the world go head-to-head in races of the cars that they have built.

“We are thrilled to showcase our innovative new four-wheel-drive car. This is an ambitious goal that can only be reached with the right resources,” added Els.

Recognising the importance of mobilising resources, students are also involved in marketing the team, managing their social media presence, and actively engaging in fundraising efforts to support these ambitious goals.

Through their involvement in TuksBaja, Els said students develop not only crucial engineering skills but also valuable project management, teamwork, and communication abilities, preparing them to be industry-ready graduates.

Vehicle Dynamics Group

Professor Els oversees the Vehicle Dynamics Group within UP’s EBIT faculty.

Broadly, “we are making vehicles safer, more efficient, and more environmentally friendly,” he said.

He highlighted that their research encompasses a diverse range of vehicles, from recreational vehicles and passenger cars to large mining trucks, all of which play a vital role in the economy.

While acknowledging that their work might not be categorised by some as “fancy new research in AI,” he emphasised its critical importance.

This was especially so considering that transport safety is a major global concern, with vehicle accidents being a significant cause of fatalities worldwide, said Els.

The Vehicle Dynamics Group’s primary focus is on off-road vehicles utilised in crucial sectors such as mining, transport, forestry, and agriculture, which significantly contribute to economic income generation.

A notable project they are involved in is the development of a robot specifically designed for underground use in mines.

The primary goal of this project is to remove personnel from dangerous and uncomfortable environments prevalent in deep underground mines, particularly in the immediate aftermath of blasting.

This robot is capable of performing tasks such as loading explosives into drill holes using remote controls, thereby eliminating the need for human presence in hazardous proximity.

The current iteration of the robot features an arm and camera feedback, enabling an operator to control it remotely from distances of hundreds of meters.

A substantial part of the group’s research centres on the interaction between vehicles and their environment, predominantly through their tyres.

“Understanding vehicle comfort, braking, handling, and overall performance necessitates a thorough analysis of the interaction between the tyre and the road surface, as well as the tyre and the soil in off-road conditions,” said Els.

To facilitate this analysis, the group has developed their own force transducers to accurately measure these interactions.

This in-house development became necessary due to the prohibitive cost of commercially available sensors, which could amount to millions of rands, making them financially inaccessible to their research group.

Through iterative design and refinement, they have reached the third version of these sensors, achieving excellent results in tyre characterisation.

They also employ innovative techniques such as using “April tags,” which are essentially QR codes, on the tyres.

Overall, Els expressed a strong belief in the value of investing in students from their first year of study.

The group fosters a collaborative environment where students at various levels work together, promoting a cross-pollination of ideas, seen by the TuksBaja.