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Open Positions
Driverless (Controls):
The Driverless team at UW Formula Motorsports is looking for a new member to work on our autonomous car control system. The nature of the work involved makes this likely more of an upperclassman-undergrad or grad student level position. The time commitment to Formula is around 15 hours a week, including working on your project and attending weekly subteam meetings and 1:1.
Responsibilities:
- Given a planned path along the racetrack, take the planned path coordinates and output the control commands that the car should follow to stay on the desired path.
- Communicate and coordinate logic with the team you receive input data from (path planning team), and the team you hand output data off to (hardware team).
Desired qualifications:
- Good understanding of common controllers used in industry (MPC, PID, etc.).
- Experience implementing controllers with code.
Driverless(Embedded):
The Driverless team at UW Formula Motorsports is looking for a new member to work on our autonomous car’s embedded actuation system. We are looking for any UW students with the desired qualifications. The time commitment to Formula is around 15 hours a week, including working on your project and attending weekly subteam meetings and 1:1.
Responsibilities:
- Assist with the development of our autonomous steering and braking systems
- These are high performance, time critical systems that take an output and perform the desired physical actuation to the steering wheel or brake pedal which controls the race car
- The work entails:
- Part selection (motors, controllers, drivers, sensors, etc.)
- Wiring (of parts)
- Code development
- Coordination with other subteams developing the mechanical portions of steering and braking systems
Desired qualifications:
- Understanding of hardware and software interfaces
- Experience with embedded systems concepts (scheduling, communication protocols, timers and counters, interrupts, RTOS)
- Understanding of mechanical systems in hydraulic brakes and linear servos
- Understanding of some controls and signal processing concepts such as PID, closed-loop feedback, processing discrete data
Composites:
Join the Composites team at UW Formula Motorsports and be at the forefront of automotive innovation. Our team is seeking enthusiastic members to explore the potential of carbon fiber materials. This position is well-suited for those who are new to the field and eager to learn about composite construction and analysis. Commitment to the team involves around 15 hours per week, which includes collaborative efforts with the Aerodynamics, Electric Powertrain, and Chassis subteams, as well as attendance at weekly meetings.
Responsibilities:
- Engage in the research and development of innovative composite applications.
- Perform structural analysis and testing to ensure compliance with SAE rules and team specifications.
- Collaborate on technical projects, specializing in ply layup design and manufacturing best practices.
Desired Qualifications:
- A keen interest in material science and engineering applications in the automotive aerospace industry.
- Willingness to learn and apply new methods for constructing and analyzing carbon fiber parts.
- No prior experience required – just a passion for engineering and innovation!
Electronics:
The electronics team is looking for a new member to assist with electrical integration and testing, along with potential involvement in developing custom circuit boards as needed. This role will involve tasks like circuit board assembly and debugging, requiring a commitment of ~20 hours per week.
Desired qualifications involve:
- A strong grasp of EE fundamentals
- Experience using lab equipment, including multimeters and oscilloscopes.
Frequently asked questions
What can I do to maximize my chances of being accepted?
While we can’t guarantee admission for any applicant there are a few steps that everyone should take to give themselves the strongest odds possible. Apply early! We interview applicants on a rolling basis, by applying early there will be more open positions on the team. Attend team events throughout the recruiting cycle. These events will be widely advertised on all of our social media platforms and are a great chance to meet members on the team. This includes our annual fall autocross, dawg daze, and many more! If you have prior experience feel free to attach a portfolio of the work you’ve done in your application.
When can I expect to hear back from the team
In the fall interviews are set to begin in September and last through October. Due to the influx of applications each year we ask that applicants be patient and we will get back to you as promptly as we can, We send ALL applicants a decision letter.
I'm a freshman at UW and/or don't have much experience, should I apply?
Yes! UWashington’s mission is to produce world-class engineers through a commitment to learning and innovation. We don’t expect you to know everything but want you to be eager to learn. Just be sure to outline why you think you would be an effective member of our team in your short answer essays or even in the additional comments section!
How does the UWashington Formula Motorsports work?
Each member applying for a technical team must also join an administrative team (see more below about non-engineers applying to the team). The five administrative teams include business, public relations, resource management, sponsorship, and technology management. The nine technical teams include, aerodynamics, chassis, composites manufacturing, drivetrain, electronics, electric powertrain (eTrain), firmware, manufacturing, and suspension. Each team has a lead and you will receive tasks from them; however, it is not uncommon for individuals to work across teams and help others that are shorthanded. Above the leads are the three directors: the mechanical systems director, the electrical systems director, and the administrative director. Their jobs are to facilitate and advise the actions of the team to ensure the growth of our members and our success in competition. All together this structure comprises UWashington Formula Motorsports
I'm not an engineer but I want to get involved, should I apply?
Absolutely! One of the major changes we plan on implementing this year and for future years is to recruit more business, marketing, CS, design, and cinematography majors. Applicants that only wish to apply to one of our administrative teams do not have to apply to a technical team, but every applicant applying for a technical team must also apply for one of our administrative teams. Applicants with a relevant background in business, design, and marketing are strongly encouraged to apply.
I wasn't accepted onto the team, should I try again next year?
While we would love to have a 100% acceptance rate we simply get too many applicants for too few spots on the team each year. If you are not accepted, we encourage you to build on the feedback that you receive from our administrators and apply again in subsequent years. We will review applications holistically regardless of how many times an individual has applied.
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