At the Canadian University in Dubai, a group of undergraduate engineering students developed a solar-powered, self-driving automobile.
Solar-powered, self-driving automobile
The primary purpose of building this automobile was to provide transportation between the university’s two City Walk campuses.
This solar automobile was designed and developed by 22 final-year students from the university’s engineering, applied science, and technology departments.
They divided themselves into five teams, each focused on a different aspect of the process, such as steering, brakes, bodywork design, material selection, and suspension system development.
One of the most difficult challenges, according to Feras Usmani, an electrical engineering and mechatronics student, was integrating all of the systems into a functional car.
He emphasized that precise synchronization of the steering system and the central processing unit was necessary. He attributed the project’s success to their professors’ direction, the students’ good teamwork, and solid engineering skills.
One team was in charge of the design of the car’s central processing unit, which drove the vehicle and processed data from the camera and Lidar system sensors – the car’s “brain.”
Another group concentrated on supplying electricity to the onboard electronic devices. They used a rooftop photovoltaic panel to charge the car’s battery and provide 60-volt power.
Malak Osama, a mechatronics student, talked on the importance of working in a diverse team. She enjoyed the assignment and believes it helped her programming and engineering skills.
The United Arab Emirates is a world leader in the use of autonomous vehicle technology. Txai debuted an autonomous service in Abu Dhabi in December 2021, following extensive testing. WeRide, a Chinese company, intends to deploy hundreds of self-driving cars on UAE roads by 2025.
In Dubai, an electric car fleet is mapping the city for future self-driving vehicles, with a collaboration between the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) and the US business Cruise set to generate ten driverless taxis by the end of the year.
To read our blog on “Tesla to launch solar charging for its cars to allay E-bills,” click here
