Meet the Team
This is yet another exciting academic year for TAU Racing. The summer of 2020 saw the team take part in the Formula Student UK online competition, taking place under lockdown conditions. During the competition’s virtual static event, the team was awarded 3rd place in the Cost and Manufacturing static event, a well-deserved result for the hard work put in throughout the year. Combined with the experience gained by many of the new members, the team felt motivated for the year ahead.
After the long hiatus, new norms have been established to adapt to the changing circumstances. Like every year, TAU Racing has welcomed in a new committee, consisting of both members continuing in a role as well as those who have taken up more responsibility within the team. The experience of all members is invaluable with their guidance and knowledge allowing the new members to settle into the team and create a good foundation for team progression.
The society is continuously striving to ensure that everyone has a great learning experience while adhering to the current university and national guidelines.
Adapting to COVID-19
Even though TAU20 did not reach the tracks of Silverstone, the team's morale remained steadfast, quickly evolving its strategies to focus on the new virtual side of the competition and interactions.
Going virtual this year has not held back the growth of the society. With the Wednesday sessions welcoming around 35 students each week, we are thrilled with how our introductory sessions have gone. In the meetings, Department Heads gave detailed outlines of the year’s objectives and provided an insight into the responsibilities that would be required of a new member.
With the COVID-19 restrictions in place, TAU has found new ideas to interact with prospective members, through the means of Facebook groups, Instagram, LinkedIn and Microsoft Team presentations. Virtual socials are carried out, such as quizzes and games nights, to network and carry on traditions from the previous years. The team continues to hold weekly committee meetings via Microsoft Teams. This has been a great way to interact with members and catch up on their design concepts and progress in general. A healthy balance between TAU activities and academics are being maintained by the team, which is especially crucial at this time.
This year the emphasis on virtual connectivity is greater than ever, applying to all areas of the project, including TAU Racing sponsors. Unfortunately, due to the current restrictions, all in person presentations and meetings have been put on hold. However, this hasn’t stopped the team recently welcoming a presentation from Grampian Fasteners, providing new members with an introduction to the 5S approach that is utilised in the garage. This allowed the whole team an opportunity to engage with the sponsors and consider how a new work approach can improve efficiency and safety . The session was very useful as it is a reminder that the 5S approach is still something that can be applied to not only the garage but can cross over to any working environment.
Whether it is through technical presentations, financial support or manufacturing components for the car, our sponsors provide the foundation for our growth. We would like to take this opportunity to say a big thank you to all sponsors for continuing to support us during these uncertain times.
Learn to Win 2021
This term saw TAU Racing participate in its first Learn to Win event. It covered a broad range of subjects such as team management, design, fabrication, and testing. This experience gave the team an insight into what the judges are expecting and how to improve aspects of the car. It was a great way for the new team members to develop their understanding of the competition and for returning members to gain clarification on rules. It also gave the team an opportunity to speak directly with the judges involved in Cost, Business and Design to aid in improving static performance. This was a new experience for everyone and we are excited to see how the advice transfers to our performance next year.
Upcoming
Next semester, TAU remains hopeful about the possibility of obtaining access to the facilities within the university. With the IMechE starting to provide scenarios for FSUK 2021, the team hopes to finish the vehicle build and resume preparation for the event. We continue to plan for a variety of situations that may be presented in the new year .
The department heads have been working hard on developing and designing new components for the upcoming car. The Aerodynamic department is working on redesigning several elements of TAU-20, such as new sidepods, and have begun investigations into front and rear wings. There are also possibilities of new and exciting designs for the suspension, monocoque and gearbox on the horizon. Stay tuned to find out more.
In the meantime, continue to follow us on TAU Racing’s social media outlets where weekly updates are posted and to track the latest developments.
Comments