IN CLASS WITH... The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge - All About Our Solar Race Cars

In this exclusive In Class With… episode students can hear from 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge participants, discovering how the teams develop and mange their high performance race vehicles and how the technologies they use influence the design of our everyday cars. Hear from Australian and International teams including Deakin University, the University of Michigan and the University of Minnesota.

From solving engineering and design problems, to travelling across the great Australian Outback, to team work and collaboration. The 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge participants travelled from across Australia and around the globe to enter the challenger and cruiser race classes, testing their designs against the challenging conditions of the Australian outback by traversing the 3,000 kilometres from Darwin to Adelaide using only the power offered by the sun.

In this episode we discover how solar cars work and what makes them different to the vehicles we travel in everyday.

We hear from a range of team representatives including:

Will Jones, Engineering Student and Race Manager, University of Michigan, United States of America
Matt Jennings, Mechanical Design Lecturer and Team Manager, Deakin University, Australia
Joel Roberts, Team Captain and Director of Engineering, University of Minnesota, United States of America

This episode will support students to further their knowledge of the solar car technology utilised in the Bridgestone World Solar Challenge, the development and management of solar power as an alternate energy source, and how ground breaking technologies impact and influence the items they use everyday.

In Class With… The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge – All About Our Solar Race Cars

Video Length: 8:34 mins This video is part of our In Class With… series. See more in the series HERE.

Are your students interested in learning more?

Then why not share our In Class With… The Bridgestone World Solar Challenge mini-episode. Students can hear Chris Selwood, the 2023 Event Director, explain the challenge and the benefits of being involved. Find the episode HERE.

Students can also explore COSMOS Magazine’s 2023 Bridgestone World Solar Challenge content. As the Scientific Media Partner COSMOS Magazine travelled with the participants from Darwin to Adelaide, exploring the teams, the cars, and the technology along the way. Visit the collection HERE.

Sub Strand	Content Descriptor
Engineering	Engineering uniquely uses and connects our knowledge of science, mathematics, and technology to understand, design and apply solutions to human problems. It provides us with a way of understanding the human made world, how it was created, how it functions, and how it might be explored and enhanced. Engineering does not seek a unique, or even a correct solution, rather it aims for an optimum design and outcome after a range of factors are considered.
Physical Sciences	Physical Sciences is concerned with understanding the nature of forces and motion, and matter and energy. Students gain an understanding of how an object’s motion is influenced by a range of forces such as frictional, magnetic, gravitational and electrostatic forces. They develop an understanding of the concept of energy and how energy transfer is associated with phenomena involving motion, heat, sound, light and electricity. They appreciate that concepts of force, motion, matter and energy apply to systems ranging in scale from atoms to the universe itself.
STEM Endeavours & Innovations	Through STEM, humans seek to improve their understanding and explanations of the world around them. STEM involves the construction of explanations based on evidence, and specialist knowledge can be changed as new evidence becomes available. STEM knowledge and understanding influences society by posing and responding to social and ethical questions, and STEM research is influenced by the needs and priorities of society. STEM endeavours and innovations showcase ‘STEM in Action’; highlighting the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as unique and interlinked ways of knowing and doing, with roles across contemporary decision-making and problem-solving.
Technology	Technology refers to the application of scientific and mathematical knowledge for practical purposes, showcasing STEM in action. Encompassing the design, creation, and use of tools, machines, materials, techniques and systems to solve problems and improve human life, technology plays a crucial role in advancing innovation and driving progress in research and industry.

Sub Strand

Content Descriptor

Engineering

Engineering uniquely uses and connects our knowledge of science, mathematics, and technology to understand, design and apply solutions to human problems. It provides us with a way of understanding the human made world, how it was created, how it functions, and how it might be explored and enhanced. Engineering does not seek a unique, or even a correct solution, rather it aims for an optimum design and outcome after a range of factors are considered.

Physical Sciences

Physical Sciences is concerned with understanding the nature of forces and motion, and matter and energy. Students gain an understanding of how an object’s motion is influenced by a range of forces such as frictional, magnetic, gravitational and electrostatic forces. They develop an understanding of the concept of energy and how energy transfer is associated with phenomena involving motion, heat, sound, light and electricity. They appreciate that concepts of force, motion, matter and energy apply to systems ranging in scale from atoms to the universe itself.

STEM Endeavours & Innovations

Through STEM, humans seek to improve their understanding and explanations of the world around them. STEM involves the construction of explanations based on evidence, and specialist knowledge can be changed as new evidence becomes available. STEM knowledge and understanding influences society by posing and responding to social and ethical questions, and STEM research is influenced by the needs and priorities of society. STEM endeavours and innovations showcase ‘STEM in Action’; highlighting the development of science, technology, engineering and mathematics as unique and interlinked ways of knowing and doing, with roles across contemporary decision-making and problem-solving.

Technology

Technology refers to the application of scientific and mathematical knowledge for practical purposes, showcasing STEM in action. Encompassing the design, creation, and use of tools, machines, materials, techniques and systems to solve problems and improve human life, technology plays a crucial role in advancing innovation and driving progress in research and industry.