VUB Racing: Sustainable Speed with Zephyr

Blog by VUB racing

VUB Racing is the Formula Student team from Brussels. We uniquely focus on building every part of our car out of recyclable materials be it flax fibers, recyclable plastics and various other eco-friendly materials. This year we continued this journey with Zephyr, our 2024 electric vehicle.

We’re a young team that is getting closer and closer to the competition level. By focusing on test driving and reliability in our powertrain we’re bringing a vehicle that we are proud of to our next competition: Formula Student Netherlands.

This season, we’ve redesigned the LV-system by using a more centralized approach. A significant leap was taken by developing a new ECU around Raspberry Pi Compute Module 4. This single board computer provides a robust, versatile and future-proof platform for the coming years.

Our new ECU features triple CAN buses for improved communication with the vehicle’s systems, essential I/O for enhanced data logging and diagnostics, and a dashboard screen connected via HDMI for immediate access to critical data during races and test rides. It also includes a compact amplifier for impressive RTDS (ready-to-drive-sound) audio output.

By adopting this centralized approach and constructing ECU from the ground up, our team has not only enhanced the technical capabilities of our Formula Student race car but also ensured a platform that is both future-proof and easier for new students to learn and improve upon.

During our first year of our dedicated Driverless subteam, we’ve made significant strides with the development of a versatile PCB for the Jetson Orin NX.

This all-in-one extension board is essential for developing our self-driving racecar. Dimensioned for; a 3D-printed 1/10th scale robot, a full-sized Driverless Development Kart, or the actual racecar. The PCB can be powered by batteries or an external 12V PSU , includes an IMU, and can power two DC motors. It also features an onboard microcontroller that emulates the car’s behavior, allowing us to send the same CAN commands used in the actual vehicle during prototype testing.

This versatile PCB simplifies the development process by allowing us to switch seamlessly between different development platforms. This significantly accelerates our progress towards creating a top-tier driverless racecar. By enabling comprehensive testing and reliable performance across various platforms, it ensures that our driverless systems are robust and ready for competition.