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Where Are They Now Wednesdays: Vince Sabatini

November 9, 2011 in EcoCAR 2 News by ggguestuser | No comments

On any given day, Vince Sabatini tests the safety of a car’s controllers with a hardware in-the-loop (HIL) simulator, wires flooding in and out of the complex contraption. But the beginnings of his engineering career started with a far simpler tool: a pen.

Vince Sabatini at the SAE Congress Announcement of EcoCAR 2

Vince, a technical support engineer at dSPACE, Inc., wrote the proposal for Embry-Riddle University, his alma mater, to qualify for EcoCAR: The NeXt Challenge. It was Embry-Riddle’s first ever attempt to become involved with Advanced Vehicle Technology Competitions (AVTC).

For Vince, this proposal – along with his team’s fourth place win in Year One – was one of his greatest EcoCAR accomplishments. Embry-Riddle’s engineering program was only five years old when the team applied, which meant they had to operate with limited resources and experience.

Beyond earning real-world engineering experience from EcoCAR, Vince gained lifelong friends. “Teams in EcoCAR are a family,” he says. To this day, he still stays in touch with many of those he met during the competition.  With EcoCAR 2 recently beginning, he offers some advice for new participants.

“Don’t underestimate anyone or anything. Even a task that seems simple can end up becoming very complicated very fast,” Vince says.

But Vince isn’t complaining. He jokes that his post-EcoCAR career offers much better pay with much better hours.

Since EcoCAR, he’s worked for the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition, broadening his communications background and establishing a stronger social media presence for the organization. Today, while working for dSPACE, he spends most of his work days on site at GM’s Milford Proving Ground. He also serves as a dSPACE mentor for the Embry Riddle and University of Washington EcoCAR 2 teams.

Vince is very excited to be involved with EcoCAR 2 for several reasons, including being an AVTC and Embry-Riddle alumnus. But the program’s largest draw for him is the ability to bring dSPACE’s hardware and software to the students.

“Since the biggest benefit of the competition for students is hands-on engineering with industry standard tools and equipment, it is very appropriate that the students will work with dSPACE simulators and rapid prototype controllers. dSPACE has been a leading supplier of simulation tools for over twenty years, and our products are used by all of the major automakers, including General Motors, so it only makes sense that we would sponsor and mentor the next generation of automotive engineers with our equipment,” he said.

Check out the video below to see Vince’s interview about EcoCAR 2 and his explanation of HILs!

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From Space to Cars: 5 Student Experiences from Embry Riddle’s EcoCAR Team

August 2, 2011 in Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

By Sean Carter

I started out as an Aerospace Engineering undergrad at the University of Michigan and after my 2008 graduation I was looking for any job opportunity with the space program. I found that the space program was declining in job opportunities, and I failed to find any employment, so I began my Masters in Mechanical Engineering at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  My first day back in school, I noticed a project called EcoCAR on campus and decided to check it out.

Sean at Year Three Finals

I had no idea what I was getting into, especially since I was new to EcoCAR and the first year of the competition had already passed. There were a lot of late nights catching up on information, especially as I got involved with the control system.  Throughout the EcoCAR project, I learned a lot about automotive technology and control system theories. Eventually, I became the Team Lead of the EcoEagles at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.  From the late night laughs to the testing sessions, the EcoCAR project has given me lasting friendships, connections to the automotive industry, and memorable experiences that can never be replaced.  I am walking away from this project employed by General Motors and knowing that I helped leave behind something that could be improved upon by future students at my Alma Mater.

 

By Brandon Smith

I became involved with EcoCar through a friend that had just been recruited to the EcoCar IDEA team. The IDEA team had just finished the migration from senior design project to faculty-sponsored club, and needed engineering students after losing the senior design manpower. My friend and roommate at the time, Michael, was able to convince me to come to a group meeting. Two years later, I am still here.

Sean and Brandon at work on their vehicle

In the beginning I had nothing to do with the vehicle, I was a software guy and we had our own lab for IDEA. Starting 6 months before Year Three Finals, the faculty advisor pushed to have IDEA meetings in the EcoCar garage to improve team cohesion. The initiative worked, and the garage quickly became my new home (sometimes literally). My most hectic, and rewarding, experiences have been during the weeks leading up to a competition, event, or deliverable. Our team works fantastically on stress, and I love being busy. These times usually stimulate massive increases in vehicle functionality—nothing is more rewarding then implementing something and actually seeing it work on the vehicle. The most extreme example of this progress is our mode changes: we went from fully manual shifts, to state machine coding, to SIL testing, to successful mode shifts in just four days. Progress like that justifies the 3am nights and 16 hour days!

Prior to Finals, we established communication and protocols between the IDEA carputer and the SCU running our controls code. It is incredible to see a system that you designed (IDEA) and wrote finally being incorporated—and actually making an impact—in the role it was designed for!

 

By Collete A. Davis

My personal experience so far… where do I start? Well, I was brought onto the team officially pretty late in the game because of my really busy schedule this past semester. I was taking 19 credit hours of classes and trying to manage my racing career at the same time.

My position on the team is to help with the management of EcoCAR PR, coordinate promotional events, and help brand the EcoEagles in all forms of Media outlets and appearances. I have experience in this field from managing all of the PR and Media relations for my own racing career for years and at ColleteDavisRacing.com. I’m currently working along side Ryan Antisdel and Cassie Cameron. Along with being a part of the outreach group, my job is to also help solidify a new partnership to enhance promotional benefits between EcoCAR and my racing career. I am currently a student ambassador and racecar driver for Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and believe by teaming up with EcoCAR we can not only promote an amazing project but also effectively spread the word to another target fan base about the EcoCAR competition, activities, and technologies.

The EcoEagles at Year Three Finals

 

By Michelle Rodio

My time with the ERAU EcoCAR team began this past year as I started my Master’s degree in Mechanical Engineering. My undergraduate background was in aerospace and although I was nervous to begin a graduate degree in another field of engineering, I knew that it was the best choice for my future.

I took a Clean Energy Systems course this last fall and fell in love with the many applications for alternative energy around the world. I quickly began trying to get funding from the university to create a biodiesel fuel.  Before I knew it, I was in the process of making the fuel and became the lead engineer for biofuel production and testing at ERAU.  The team welcomed me with open arms and truly made me feel like a valuable member of the team.  I am very grateful for everything that I have taken away from this year of working with the EcoCAR competition and only wish I could have become involved earlier.  I look forward to being involved in EcoCAR2!

 

By Ryan Antisdel

I was a latecomer to the EcoCAR program, starting in mid-January of Year 3. I had no idea that ERAU was participating in EcoCAR, not to mention that one of my fellow MBA classmates was the Outreach Coordinator. The learning process has not been easy with the loss of tacit knowledge transfer from my predecessor, but it has been a great experience overall.

I have had the opportunity to meet an entirely new group of students and professors who are all brilliant, along with the public and political figures at outreach events. I recently was selected to interview with BMW Manufacturing and they were very interested and impressed with my EcoCAR experiences. I personally believe this was what really helped me beat the competition to become an intern with their HR department for recruiting. As an avid automotive enthusiast I have always looked forward to the EcoCAR events that I have been able to participate in, whether with a small group of students or testing at the Daytona International Speedway. In the end I hope that I continue to help with the EcoCAR program into the future even if I am no longer directly working with ERAU.

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Student Perspective: A Rewarding Experience leads to New and Exciting Opportunities

July 21, 2011 in Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

By Embry Riddle’s Stephen Renick

My name is Stephen Renick and I am a senior in the Mechanical Engineering program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. I started working on the EcoEagles Mechanical Team as part of my preliminary design class. At first I was overwhelmed with the scope of the project and the long list of tasks that needed to be accomplished by competition time in June.

Stephen Renick at the White House during Year Three Finals

In my first semester on the EcoCAR team I played an important role in helping the team troubleshoot diesel engine problems and assisted in the first replacement of the two-mode transmission.  I was able to design and build many brackets for the intercooler and circuit boards. In addition, I helped in the preliminary design of aerodynamic modifications.

In my second semester on the team I took the position of mechanical lead of the EcoEagles.  I continued to assist with diesel testing and dynamic testing for controls improvement; however, I also worked on completing the safety checklist to pass technical inspection at this year’s spring workshop. Because of my significant contribution to the team’s progress, I was able to attend the spring workshop in Ann Arbor, Michigan. At this workshop I attended technical presentations, emissions testing at the EPA and a sponsor banquet.  In fact, this incredible workshop eventually lead to General Motors offering me a job. Our team was proud to finish Year Three with multiple awards, and we are excited to be a part of EcoCAR 2.

The EcoCAR 2 Vehicle: a Chevy Malibu

The EcoCAR competition has allowed me to understand many things about the automotive industry, including the amount of design work, the complexity of the testing, and the difficulty of refining that goes into producing a production vehicle.  I have made many strong bonds with fellow teammates that are sure to continue through our professional lives.  The EcoCAR competition has given me direction and provided me with a jumpstart to my professional career in the automotive industry.  It is fair to say that EcoCAR has profoundly affected my future in this industry.

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On-the-Job Training: An Embry Riddle Student Looks Forward to EcoCAR 2

July 6, 2011 in Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

By Embry Riddle’s Cassie Cameron

After being brought on to the Embry Riddle EcoCAR Team very late in the game, I had (and still do have) a lot of catching up to do.  I was brought on to assist the team’s current outreach coordinator and learn the ropes in preparation to take over the outreach coordinator position for EcoCAR 2 next year. This competition was foreign to me, but thankfully I was thrown right in and started to learn about the overall objectives and importance of it right away.

The Embry Riddle Team at Year Three Finals in June

As a communications major I don’t have a lot of engineering background, so I’m amazed at the work our team members have done.  It’s really great to come into the lab and see our engineers working on various aspects of our vehicle. Seeing people so motivated and driven for a worthy cause is very refreshing.

Initially, I worked on the influencer campaign.  I sent out several letters to local, state and national government officials.  I was excited when my letters produced results. For example, the circulation of my letters gave us the opportunity to have U.S. Congressman John Mica and Daytona Beach Mayor Glenn Ritchey visit our Green Garage and meet team members.

I’ve also helped with the progress reports, which will be good practice for next year.  If there’s one thing I’ve learned from this experience it is that communication is vital to a team’s success.  There are so many team members working on various projects that if the lines of communication aren’t open and consistent, things get a little crazy.  Luckily our team has a handle on communicating between members.  I’m proud of the work our team did in EcoCAR 1, and I’m very excited to see what EcoCAR 2 has in store!

 

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An Embry Riddle Student’s Perspective on EcoCAR

June 23, 2011 in EcoCAR News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

By Brian Harries of the Embry-Riddle EcoEagles Team

I originally joined the EcoCAR project as a Senior Design option for Mechanical Engineering, and got involved on the mechanical team where I gained valuable experience doing mechanical design. There’s really no substitute for hands on experience: the ability to do things such as design, fabricate, and refine designs was incredible.

Brian (left, kneeling) and the EcoEagles at GM's Milford Proving Ground

Eventually I got very involved in the Controls Team and became the Controls Team Lead. With this position, I was able to attend competitions at General Motors’ Yuma Proving Grounds and give technical presentations in San Diego. I was also given the opportunity to go to GM’s Milford Proving Grounds and work in the Hybrid Development garage for two weeks. There I was able to work with several other teams along with GM engineers to debug the control system for our vehicle’s two-mode transmission.

Through my involvement in the EcoCAR competition I had the opportunity to enhance my knowledge in this area and gain more expertise.  This experience became one of the main reasons that I decided to enroll in the masters program at Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University. It has been a very exciting and rewarding time to be working with advanced technologies that are utilized in the automotive industry.

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Is it a NASCAR or an EcoCAR? Embry Riddle Drives Its Vehicle at Daytona!

June 2, 2011 in EcoCAR News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

Due to Embry Riddle’s close proximity to the Daytona International Speedway, the school’s EcoCAR team has worked hard to develop a positive relationship with the International Speedway Corporation. Eventually, the EcoEagles were offered a private two-hour session on the Daytona “Superstretch.”

The main objective of the day was to test aerodynamic modifications on the EcoCAR. As the engineers sped around the track, a safety truck followed the EcoCAR and both vehicles had video cameras to document the team’s first day on the famous speedway.

Much of the team’s time at Daytona was dedicated to taking photos at the finish line, on victory lane, and at various other points of the track. One of the major surprises from this event was that the Daytona International Speedway published an article on their website about Embry Riddle’s track day and the EcoCAR competition in general.

Overall the event was the first major step towards building a strong future with the Daytona International Speedway. Hopefully this will become a multiyear relationship that carries through to EcoCAR 2!

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Embry Riddle At “Racing for Kids”

May 25, 2011 in EcoCAR News, Team Posts by ggguestuser | No comments

Earlier this month, the Embry Riddle EcoCAR team attended a “Racing for Kids” event at the New Smyrna Speedway. It was a perfect opportunity for the EcoEagles to showcase their car and educate a new audience on the EcoCAR competition and the technologies they have implemented.

On the day of the event the team was given a spot in front of the race track to display their EcoCAR. Team members spoke with many of the kids and families in attendance, giving them some background info on advanced vehicle technologies. Overall it was a wonderful event for the EcoEagles, as well as all the kids involved!


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Clean Cities Internship Program Helps Coalitions Throughout the Nation

August 3, 2010 in EcoCAR News, Green Auto News by ggguest | No comments

This summer, more than 25 interns are spreading awareness of alternatives fuels and clean energy throughout the nation. Clean Cities, an EcoCAR Gold Sponsor, launched the Clean Cities Summer Internship program to assist local coalitions in the planning and implementation of events, research of alternative fuel usage, database analysis, and social media and media relations tasks.

Marcy Rood Werpy, Principal Transportation Environmental Analyst at Argonne National Laboratory and a former manager of Clean Cities, believes coalitions need new and creative ways to reach fleet managers and general consumers about these important issues.

“With the nation focused on a clean energy revolution, Clean Cities is at a pinnacle with significant opportunities to accelerate the market towards electric drive technologies, biofuels, natural gas and propane vehicles,” she said. “Local coalitions need resources or people power to get projects started, find additional fleet customers, and educate consumers about new vehicle technologies. Interns provide smart, energetic resources to coalitions needing to move ahead quickly.”

Clean Cities looked to Argonne National Laboratory to help oversee and execute the summer internship program. Dana Bubonovich, former Outreach Coordinator for Penn State, was brought on board to help oversee internship responsibilities for all 25 coalitions and act as a liaison between Argonne, the interns, and the coalition coordinators.

“Argonne is here to help the coalitions succeed in spreading awareness of clean energy,” said Bubonovich. “The interns are very bright and have already helped the coalitions tremendously. The coalitions are really impressed with what the interns can achieve.”

Another EcoCAR student is interning at the Greater Long Island Clean Cities Coalition (GLICCC) this summer.

EcoCAR team leader for the Embry-Riddle EcoEagles, Vincent Sabatini, accepted an internship with the GLICCC to assist in their mission of expanding the use of alternatives fuels, improving air quality, facilitating energy independence, and encouraging economic growth. The GLICC was officially recognized by the U.S. Department of Energy in October 1996, and is currently managing and funding CNG fleets and fueling stations through the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Vince Sabatini talks to students about alternative fuels and clean energy

Vincent played a significant role in Embry-Riddle’s outreach activities throughout the last two years of EcoCAR. He was often the team’s spokesperson at offsite events and helped give tours of the lab for visitors. His dedication to his EcoCAR team and outreach activities impressed the coalition’s coordinator and landed him the internship with the GLICCC.

Vincent is currently working on updating the contact information for coalition stakeholders, public officials, media contacts, and fleet managers, as well as updating the coalition’s website. He is also developing a press packet for events such as station groundbreakings or grand openings, as well as the annual Advancing The Choice (ATC) Conference, which will be held on October 22, 2010.

“I really enjoy working with Clean Cities,” said Vincent. “It’s nice because I can take the outreach skills I learned at Embry-Riddle, mix it with my engineering background, and apply it to my internship. The internship really taught me to expand my horizons and I’ve become more well-rounded because of it.”

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EcoEagles at the Daytona 500

April 23, 2010 in Team Posts by ggguest | 1 comment

During Speedweeks 2010 at the Daytona International Speedway, the Embry-Riddle EcoCAR team worked with its local sponsor, the International Speedway Corporation, to set up a trade show display inside the Daytona 500 Experience. At Speedweeks 2010, the EcoEagles were able to discuss the EcoCAR competition and Embry-Riddle’s participation with thousands of race fans. Embry-Riddle’s contact at the International Speedway Corporation, Cliff Franz, arranged for the team to showcase its work right outside the entrance of the Daytona 500 Experience.

EcoEagles’ co-team leader, Ryle Maxson, talking to race fans

The team set up its display while two Gatorade Duels at Daytona were running. In between races, many fans stopped by the Daytona 500 Experience to talk to the EcoEagles. The students spoke to fans from more than 15 different countries and all were genuinely interested and impressed with the EcoCAR project and its goals. 

The Embry-Riddle EcoCAR team was included in all the SpeedWeeks 2010 events and the team gained a lot of exposure. During the 2010 Daytona 500 induction ceremony, the winning car was parked inside the Daytona 500 Experience to commemorate the victory – right next to the EcoEagles’ trade show display! 

By the end of the event, the EcoEagles had talked to thousands of fans, handed out hundreds of team and competition informational brochures, and had a lot of fun! The team can’t wait until the next big event rolls into Daytona, so they can do it again.

A view of the EcoEagles’ display in the Daytona 500 Experience

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EcoEagles Participate in “College of Engineering Girl Scout Day”

April 7, 2010 in Team Posts by ggguest | No comments

In an event sponsored by Embry-Riddle’s Office of Diversity, more than 80 Girl Scouts, teachers, parents, and scout leaders came to the Embry-Riddle campus for a day of fun and learning. Six different troops from across Northeast Florida (St. Augustine, Sanford, Jacksonville) were in attendance. In the morning, the girls participated in hands-on activities that inspired the future engineers. They built balsa wood airplane models, water rockets, and even had a competition to see which troop could build the strongest model bridge. After the activities and lunch, the girls were brought into the EcoEagles’ garage to see what the team was working on in the EcoCAR competition. 

The girls took a tour around the garage and their eyes lit up as they took in all of the tools, computers, and the EcoCAR. The Embry-Riddle team explained the purpose of the EcoCAR program and the importance of reducing emissions for the future. The girls were then asked to fill out a survey about their knowledge of green vehicle technologies and the companies currently developing them. 

The Girl Scouts event was a great success because the team was able to spread the word about EcoCAR and its importance. The team also got the girls excited about engineering, so maybe one day they will participate in an Advanced Vehicle Technology Competition too!

Girl Scouts and EcoEagles’ team leader, Vince Sabatini, in the Embry-Riddle garage

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