Process and Team Management, Hull Design, and Steering System Design

Abstract

Solar Splash is an international collegiate boating competition where students design a solar powered boat to race in various events while promoting interest in science and technology. The strategy of the 2022 USI Solar Splash team is to analyze the results from the 2021 competition and apply that knowledge to design and build an improved boat that will serve as a baseline on which future teams can continuously improve. The senior design team will help support the USI Solar Splash team’s efforts by analyzing project management and team management from a process optimization standpoint, delivering an improved hull design, and addressing an oversteering issue. A strategic design approach will be taken, keeping competition considerations and the idea of continuous improvement in mind. The culmination of this project is to equip the 2022 Solar Splash team with detailed designs, materials, and implementation guidelines so that the systems can be constructed during the team’s build phase in the spring 2022 semester.