Innovative Vehicle Design Winners Crowned at Kettering University’s GM Mobility Research Center

Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist was off to the races Tuesday at Square One's 16th Annual Innovative Vehicle Design (IVD) Competition at the Kettering University GM Mobility Research Center.

Hundreds of middle school and high school students from across the state competed.

Gilchrist spoke to the students about how the skills they’re learning through this competition are just the beginning. He also posed for photos and waved the flag to start the Mini Innovative Vehicle and Full-Scale Innovative Vehicle races.

Teams participated in three on-site challenges during the event:

Some V2X Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge students who previously competed virtually also gave demonstrations. The V2X challenge simulates the sensors and coding necessary for successful autonomous movement.

The Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge project tasks students with re-engineering a Power Wheels Jeep into an autonomous vehicle. The Mini Innovative Vehicle Design Racing Challenge requires teams to re-engineer an electric 1/10th-scale RC vehicle for optimal performance. The Full-Scale Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge inspires teams to transform a gas-powered go-kart kit or build a car from the ground up into an electric or hybrid electric vehicle featuring an innovative component that sets it apart.

The winners in each competition were:

Autonomous IVD

Full-Scale IVD

Mini IVD

V2X IVD (Virtual)

High School

Middle School

Elementary

Scholarship winners

Square One is a Michigan-based non-profit educational organization focused on developing talent in under-resourced communities and growing the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce for tomorrow. Through partnerships with higher education institutions and the industry, Square One empowers teachers and students with hands-on learning experiences around high-quality STEM projects.

This was the fourth time the competition took place at Kettering University. To check out a photo gallery of the day, click here.