An autonomous vehicle that carries water from a filling station to an unloading station along a fixed path, from a single start. I led the team of five as lead engineer.
The brief
After a single start, the vehicle has to:
- Drive to the filling station and wait until all containers are full.
- Travel to the unloading station.
- Return once unloaded, and repeat.
It had to work reliably across different conditions and nozzle flow rates, within a fixed budget and weight limit.
Design process
As team leader and lead engineer, I set the technical direction, evaluated design alternatives and made the key decisions. Stops and status are detected by onboard sensors, so the vehicle adapts to the stations instead of relying on fixed timings.
Electrical and control
I designed the full electrical system and programmed the vehicle's control logic.
Build and test
I supervised the mechanical design, fabrication and system integration. Adjustable mounts, sensors and electrical fixtures made quick tuning possible on test day.
Results
- 9 completed runs in 10 minutes.
- Met all project objectives and requirements.
- Stayed within budget and weight limits, with efficient electronics and a durable structure.
What I learned
Leading the team taught me to assign work based on each person's strengths and working style. Balancing scope, budget and timeline while keeping everyone aligned is how a group of different talents becomes one effective team.