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Welcome to USC RVDT!

The Recumbent Vehicle Design Team of the University of Southern California

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USC Recumbent Vehicle Design Team

The USC Recumbent Vehicle Design Team consists of a diverse group of undergraduate and graduate students who are passionate about engineering, design, and manufacturing. Each year, our team creates an efficient and reliable human-powered vehicle with electric assist, adjustable to fit every member of the team. Our recumbent vehicle is designed to be used for everyday purposes - whether that be commuting to work or carrying groceries from the market - as well as racing national and international universities across the West. You may even see members riding around campus gathering ride data, training for competition, or simply enjoying the views on their own creation!

 

After being designed and manufactured fully in-house, our vehicle is entered into the annual ASME Electric-Human Powered Vehicle Challenge (eHPVC). Our team presents our engineering process, including the research, designs, simulations, and performance data in a report and presentation to a panel of judges and design teams from other universities. Additionally, team members strategize the best approach using ride data to successfully perform in the drag race and 2.5-hour long endurance race on a course filled with obstacles. Scores from all the competitions are added up to determine the overall winners of the annual eHPVC. Check out USC RVDT’s legacy in our Awards page.

Coming off a 2nd place overall finish at the e-HPVC West Competition in Boise, Idaho, the team is looking to build off one of its most successful years. The team has developed a design environment which is grounded in effective design and fabrication procedures but still allows for team members to display their creativity and pursue their own innovative design concepts. 


We are actively looking for new members of all majors and would love to meet interested members at our weekly meetings, lab hours, or through our email (uscrvdt@gmail.com) and Instagram (@usc_rvdt).
 

Alyssa riding 2024 vehicle in Boise, Idaho
William overtaking Cal Poly SLO in 2024 vehicle
Awards from 2024 ASME Electric-Human Powered Vehicle Competition
Lucas racing an endurance lap with 2023 vehicle in San Jose, CA
Haruko completing an endurance lap with 2023 vehicle in San Jose, CA
Repairing the 2023 vehicle at SJSU Recumbent Bike Exhibition
Lucas working on 2023 vehicle in San Jose, CA
Haruko welding aluminum frame for 2023 vehicle
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Two-rider innovation for 2021 virtual competition
Scrutineering judge inspecting 2019 vehicle
2015 vehicle taking on the velodrome in San Jose, CA
Foam fairing mold for 2015 vehicle
Founding team at endurance event with 2015 vehicle in San Jose, CA
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ASME Electric-Human Powered Vehicle Competition

HPVC is an intercollegiate engineering design competition hosted by the American Society of Mechanical Engineers (ASME). Each year, ASME challenges engineering students across the country, and even internationally, to design and build a human-powered vehicle for sustainable and practical transportation. The objective of the competition has two built-in parts: it not only aims to provide an opportunity for engineering students to demonstrate application of sound engineering principles, it also seeks for those applications to be used in sustainable, environmentally responsible transportation solutions. In 2022, new rules allowed teams to use an electric motor to assist their vehicles, highlighting efficiency and reliability as key factors to success in the 2.5-hour long endurance race. Over 20+ universities have participated in the HPVC West event annually, bringing together large groups of the engineering community.

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Hours and Locations 
Fall 2024

Meetings in Biegler Hall of Engineering (BHE) 301:

Mondays, 5:30 pm - 6:30 pm 

Lab Hours in Baum Family Maker Space:

Monday: Following General Meetings - 8:00 pm 

Thursday: 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm 

Friday: 2:00 pm - 4:30 pm

                 USC RVDT Lab Area In the Baum Family Maker Space                 

RVDT Workshop in the Baum Family Maker Space.HEIC

Thank You to Our Sponsors:

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Contact

Get in touch today!

3710 McClintock Ave, Los Angeles, California, 90089

uscrvdt@gmail.com

President: Elisa McCormick (egmccorm@usc.edu)

Vice President: Nolan Smith (nbsmith@usc.edu)

Treasurer & Social Chair: Sophia Li (lisophia@usc.edu)

Secretary: Alyssa Angsupanich (angsupan@usc.edu)

Innovation: Hongyu Zhao (hongyuz@usc.edu)

Funding: Warren Dao (wdao@usc.edu)

Thanks for submitting!

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