UCalgary Baja is a student organization that allows students to design, build, and race an off-road vehicle to participate in the Baja SAE competition organized by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) every year.
Our members are given opportunities to gain hands-on experience working on the car, which allows them to both learn new skills and techniques, such as using Solidworks, Ansys, machining, and welding, as well as utilizing knowledge learned from classrooms. This is done with practical projects, allowing members to build skills and knowledge that employers are looking for.
Every year, we take our car to the United States to compete against other teams from all across the globe. Teams from universities design, build, and race these vehicles capable of going through a series of rough courses. In addition, teams discuss their findings, such as cost reports and design choices. All of this is done in a series of dynamic and static events. On top of this, we also get the chance to connect with students and sponsors from all over the world.
Static events are where the whole team steps away from building the car and takes a look at the professional and analytical aspect of the team. The business presentation, cost event, and technical inspection are all events where we show real-world understanding of engineering, manufacturing, and business decisions. This is done through presentations and tests before the race.
Dynamic events put the car to the test, each one targeting a specific aspect of its capability. Acceleration, sled pull, hill climb and maneuverability are all events that compare our performance against other teams. After that, we compete in the endurance event, a four-hour race filled with many obstacles to see how many laps each car can complete. This combines all the factors from previous events, on top of the reliability of our car.