University of Toronto Human Powered Vehicle: Difference between revisions

<span></span><span>During the summer of 2008 a group of graduate students founded the club to design and build an</span>[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ornithopter ornithopter] (wing-flapping aircraft) that used human power alone. The project was headed by Todd Reichert (NΨ 0T4 + Film) and Cameron Robertson (NΨ 0T8). The ornithopter was successfully completed and made a record-setting flight as the first human powered ornithopter [[http://www.aerovelo.com/ornithopter-summary 1]

HPVDT significantly redesigned all aspects of the design for the next iteration of speedbike. Led by co-captains Trefor Evans (NΨ 1T3) and Aidan Muller (MSE 1T3), the team proceeded to manufacture the Bluenose vehicle. This design boasted much-improved aerodynamics, highly-durable construction, revised steering geometry, and a new landing gear system. Bluenose competed at the 2012 ASME HPVC, where it won awards in the Design and Sprint events. The team finished 4th overall.[[File:Bluenose2012.JPG|500px|center|middle|thumb|Marissa and Todd at ASME HPV Challenge 2012]]

<span>During the summer of 2012, the core membership of HPVDT was recruited to the newly-formed AeroVelo Inc. design team. The group relocated to Tottenham, ON, where they designed and manufactured the Atlas human-powered helicopter until September.</span><span></span>

<span><span>Collaboration with AeroVelo on the human-powered helicopter continued through 2013. On June 12, 2013</span>, Aerovelo won the AHS Igor I. Sikorsky Challenge and its $250,000 prize by flying Atlas for 64 seconds and reaching a height of 3.3 m. Atlas was in some ways larger than a Boeing 737 [[http://www.aerovelo.com/atlas-helicopter 2]</span>].

<span style="font-size: 21px;">ETA Prime and Axios (2015-2016)</span><br />During the summer term, several members of HPVDT undertook to construct an updated version of the Eta speedbike, to be called Eta Prime. While not completed in time for WHPSC 2015, the new speedbike project made excellent progress. Among the modifications made were a lighter fairing, a stiffer frame, and an updated electronics package.

The team pursues a fully faired recumbent tricycle with external wheel pods called Arbiter for ASME under project director Bruce Hu. The design features a tadpole configuration and two external front wheels with co-moving wheel fairings, steered by a four bar linkage. For the first time in team history, the vehicle is test ridden before the competition. The vehicle suffered a mechanical malfunction in the right steering rod during the first heat of the Women's drag event and the damage prevents the team from competing in either drag event. However the team works through the night and the vehicle is once again functional the next morning and finishes the endurance event in 4th place. In May, Bill Kong succeeds Calvin Moes as captain. For World Speed Challenge, the team sends Eta Prime and Bluenose again where Calvin finally earns his long awaited 80 mph hat and finishes the competition in second place overall.  

The team is also resuming its long forestalled Axios submarine project, with the goal of finally getting it in the water by early 2020.