Who are
we?
- The Rice University Solar Car team is an interdisciplinary group consisting
of students from the various engineering disciplines, from the natural sciences,
and from the social sciences and humanities as well. We're all current Rice
students and we have a faculty advisor from the Department of Mechanical Engineering.
More to the point, we are a group of students who, a little over fourteen
months ago, decided that we wanted to design, build, and race a solar-powered
vehicle in the American Solar Challenge in the summer of 2004.
What is the goal
of this project?
- Our goal in undertaking this project is to build and race a solar-powered
vehicle. In addition to that, the experience gained while working on this
project will help every student who is involved. Engineering students get
a hands-on experience in applying the knowledge they have learned in the classroom.
Management and economics students have the opportunity to learn about corporate
fundraising and managing the funds for a project as large as this. Every single
person involved will take away some new piece of knowledge or wonderful memory
from this project.
- Another equally important goal of our team is to promote the use of and
the development of alternative energy products. These products include, but
by no means are limited to, natural gas, solar, hydroelectric, and wind power.
By building a device which is powered by the sun, we believe that we can make
the statement that alternative sources of energy are as viable as conventional
sources, such as coal, oil, and gasoline.
Why should I get involved?