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- Engineering competitions offer students hands-on, real-world design experience.
- The College of Engineering offers space for student competition teams at the Ware Lab.
- The ECE Integrated Design Studio provides lab space and equipment for students enrolled in design-based courses.
You realize what is more and less important from the classroom learning. This is what we're going to college for.
-Eric Faraci (EE '12), member of ECE's 2011 IEEE International Future Energy Challenge team
I believe this experience is invaluable for anyone working on a large team, and should be an integral part of a good engineering education.
-Micah Boswell (CPE '11), leader of Tech's 2010 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Team
The undergraduate student competition teams are among the best educational experiences we can offer.
-Dr. Dan Stilwell
See also:
Undergraduate research.
Design projects are often the most remembered, most fun experiences for engineering students.
Course-Based Design Projects
For EE and CPE students, design projects are woven throughout the curriculum. Following the introduction of simple design problem solving in the first ECE courses, students design increasingly complex devices and systems. EE students are required to take one design-intensive "capstone design" course during their senior year. CPE students are required to take two "design technical electives."
Integrated Design Courses
Under the new integrated design model, ECE seniors can enroll in two-semester, project-based courses. Options include: Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Team, IEEE Robotics Team, satellite design, and radio frequency spectrum sensing.
Extra-Curricular Design Projects
The ECE faculty encourages all students to complete extracurricular design projects. There are many opportunities for ECE students to participate in electrical and computer engineering design competitions or join multidisciplinary engineering teams.
Undergraduate Design Examples
IEEE Hardware Team
The VT IEEE Hardware Team designs and programs robots to participate in obstacle course missions at the annual IEEE SoutheastCon hardware competition.
AUVT
The Virginia Tech Autonomous Underwater Vehicle Team (AUVT) designs autonomous submarines to compete in missions at the annual RoboSub Competition sponsored by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI).
HEVT
The Hybrid Electric Vehicle Team (HEVT) is participating in the 2011-2014 EcoCAR 2: Plugging in to the Future Advanced Vehicle Competition Series.
Design Build Fly
The Design Build Fly team constructs radio-controlled aircrafts to complete missions at an annual competition sponsored by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics.
IEEE International Future Energy Challenge
ECE student teams participate in the International Future Energy Challenge, a biennial electrical system design competition that focuses on innovation and energy efficiency.
VT Motorsports Formula SAE
The VT Motorsports team designs high-performance formula-style racecars to compete in the annual Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Collegiate Design Series.
BOLT
The Battery Operated Land Transport (BOLT) team designs electric motorcycles to compete in the TTXGP international electric motorsport race series.
HPS Team
The Human-Powered Submarine (HPS) team designs, builds, and races submarines that are propelled solely by human power for competition at the International Submarine Races.