SPEED - Undergraduate Engineering Project Teams

Students on the Chem-E Car team are charged with designing and building a model-sized car powered by and stopped by a non-combustible chemical reaction by the American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). There are typically about 15 dedicated members on the team, which competes in a regional competition that leads to a national competition.

Related undergraduate programs: Chemical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Chemistry

Recent accolades: Tied for third place at the 2020 AlChE Eckhardt National Student Conference, 4th place at the 2018 National Conference, and 1st place finish at the 2018 & 2020 Regional Student Conference

Picuki Fact Sheet PDF

The Human-Powered Vehicle team follows restrictions set by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME) to design and build a lightweight vehicle powered only with energy created by a human rider and that could be used as reliable transportation in underdeveloped or inaccessible parts of the world.. This team of ~15 members competes annually against over 50 teams in events to test their design, innovation, speed and endurance. 

Related undergraduate programs: Mechanical Engineering

Fact Sheet PDF

The Design, Build, Fly team is tasked with developing a plane that satisfies the current year's unique design requirements, as set by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA). The team of about 15 members competes in the international AIAA Design Build Fly Competition in either Arizona or Kansas each year. Watch the test flight and read about the 2021 competition!

Related undergraduate programs: Aeronautical Engineering, Mechanical Engineering

Recent accolades: 1st place at the 2018 AIAA Design-Build-Fly student competition

Design Build Fly Winning Flight Video Fact Sheet PDF

Students in the FIRST Robotics program, "Team 229" mentor students from two local high schools as they design and build a remote-control robot to compete in two regional competitions and potentially a world championship. They follow guidelines set by FIRST (For Inspiration and Recognition of Science and Technology) to create a robot that can play in a unique game each year. About 25 Clarkson students and 20 high school students work together on this team, with various academic interests. 

Related undergraduate programs: Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering, Software Engineering

Recent accolades: Received a bid to the 2020 FIRST Championships after a strong performance in Montreal

Team 229 Website Facebook Instagram Fact Sheet PDF

Did you know that by participating on a FIRST Robotics (FRC) or FIRST Tech Challenge (FTC) team in high school, you may be eligible for up to $24,000 in scholarships from Clarkson University?

The Clarkson FIRST Scholarship recognizes up to 25 high school seniors each year with up to to $6,000 for every year they attend Clarkson, up to four years (eight semesters).

Learn more about Scholarships & Special Awards

All Clarkson students have access to Clarkson's state-of-the-art Student Prototyping Machine Shop, which is home to a wide range of equipment such as modern CNC milling machines and lathes, an extensive welding lab, water jet cutting and more. Students can take courses in the Machine Shop to further their technical, hands-on skills, from basic shop skills, to lathes, milling and CNC machining, to welding and MasterCam. 

Learn more about the Machine Shop

Learning about engineering concepts in the classroom is one thing, but using them in a hands-on situation is totally different! On SPEED teams, students bring the knowledge they gain from classwork to solve problems, seeing how these concepts translate to the real world in the process. It goes full circle, with students also being able to utilize the skills they've acquired on SPEED teams into their courses, giving them more perspective, experience and understanding. 

SPEED team members gain hands-on, real world experience and learn the coveted skill sets that future employers are looking for. Many teams are sponsored by major companies that also hire Clarkson students, as well as offer internship and co-op experiences. The Clarkson SPEED team alumni network is strong, creating even more opportunities for students.  

Clarkson SPEED teams are 100% student-run. Team members are required to take charge of a diverse array of duties ranging from recruiting new team members to taking charge of project scope and budget to finishing competition requirements on time. While the number of students on each team varies, the average team size is 15-20 students. That means you'll not only have the opportunity to get your hands dirty (literally), you'll be able to gain critical experience in effective leadership, teamwork and communication.

Clarkson is known for its highly collaborative atmosphere, where students learn from and support each other. But just because they work together effectively in teams, that doesn't mean they aren't also highly competitive. In recent years, our SPEED teams have had strong showings in regional, national and international competitions. Plus, because our teams are relatively small, all members get the opportunity to contribute to the finished product. 

While a member of Clarkson's Baja SAE team, Joseph Harmon '18 wrote about what it's like to be on a SPEED team, and why it's better at Clarkson, citing smaller teams, more experience, career connections, and friendships as his three big takeaways. 

Read Joseph's Post