EcoCar: The Next Challenge

EcoCAR teams visit dSPACE.

dSPACE introduces college students to advanced technology solutions for engineering competition
On September 27, 2008, dSPACE presented an overview of dSPACE products and capabilities for control systems development to approximately 110 faculty advisors and college engineering students competing in the EcoCAR vehicle design competition. As a platinum sponsor, dSPACE is proud to support EcoCAR: The Next Challenge, a three-year collegiate vehicle engineering competition challenging students across North America to design and build clean, fuel-efficient automobiles.

In EcoCAR, student teams will construct and demonstrate vehicles incorporatingtechnologies that reduce petroleum energy consumption, increase vehicle energy efficiency, and reduce greenhouse gas and emissions, while maintaining performance, utility and safety.

dSPACE is providing critical electronic control development systems to aid students in completing precise powertrain control design, simulation, vehicle integration and testing activities. This contribution includes:

• Hardware-in-the-loop simulators
  
• MicroAutoBox prototyping units
  
• SystemDesk^® software for fast development of complex system architectures and electronic control systems
  
• TargetLink^® software for high-quality automatic production code generation
  
• Support and training

Santhosh Jogi explains a demo.

“dSPACE originated from a college setting and has always placed great value on advancing education and research in electronic controls and embedded software fields,” said dSPACE Inc. President Kevin Kott. “We are delighted to play a role in EcoCAR, as a conduit to educating and preparing the next generation of automotive engineers, including some that will become dSPACE employees.”

General Motors and the U.S. Department of Energy are headline sponsors of EcoCAR. For more information on the student engineering competition, visit www.ecoCARchallenge.org.

dSPACE Inc. (Wixom), September 2008