Project · Formula Student
Team Haya Racing — Formula Student
Wireless telemetry, suspension design, and mentoring the next generation of racing engineers.
Team Haya Racing is the Formula Student racing chapter of PES University, competing in Formula Bharat and Formula Student India events. I joined as an intern in summer 2019 and worked my way up to the vehicle dynamics team, eventually mentoring incoming students.
My first major project was designing a wireless steering wheel display — a necessity because Formula Student rules require the steering wheel to detach in under 5 seconds for driver extraction. I built a battery-powered system with a Raspberry Pi and display mounted on the steering wheel, receiving real-time ECU data wirelessly from an ESP32 via MQTT protocol. The GUI was developed in Processing IDE and displayed critical parameters like RPM, speed, and engine temperature.
As a vehicle dynamics team member, I worked on A-arm design iterations and built instrumentation to verify suspension parameters like slip angle using physical sensors. I also got my hands dirty with fabrication — cutting, assembly, and assisting with carbon fiber mold preparation.
In my final year, I mentored four first-year students through 'Project Ignition,' a 6-week program where they learned Arduino, CAN protocol, and data acquisition. They built a Tkinter-based GUI for logging and visualizing vehicle data — skills that would feed directly into the team's telemetry capabilities.
Beyond engineering, I contributed to the business side by helping with cost estimation and BOM preparation for competition presentations, and I designed the team's website.
Problem Statement
- Safety Requirement: Formula Student regulations mandate that the steering wheel must detach in under 5 seconds for emergency driver extraction — wired displays complicate this
- Data Visibility: Driver needs real-time access to critical engine parameters (RPM, speed, gear position, temperature) without looking away from the track
- Knowledge Transfer: Racing teams face annual turnover as students graduate — how do you efficiently onboard new members on complex DAQ systems?
- Design Validation: Simulation-based suspension designs need physical instrumentation to verify parameters like slip angle match real-world behavior
Methodology
The project spanned multiple work streams across vehicle electronics, dynamics, fabrication, and mentorship. Click a stage to jump there.
Wireless Steering Wheel Display
Formula Student regulations require the steering wheel to detach in under 5 seconds for emergency driver extraction. A wired display would complicate this, so I designed a fully wireless solution.
System Architecture: The steering wheel houses a battery-powered Raspberry Pi and display, while an ESP32 connected to the ECU reads CAN bus data and transmits it via MQTT protocol. I developed the GUI in Processing IDE to display RPM, speed, gear position, and engine temperature in real-time.
Technical Display parameters shown
- RPM: Engine revolutions per minute with shift indicator
- Speed: Vehicle speed from wheel speed sensors
- Gear Position: Current gear selection
- Engine Temperature: Coolant temperature warning
Vehicle Dynamics & Design Validation
As part of the vehicle dynamics sub-team, I worked on suspension geometry — specifically iterating on A-arm designs based on hardpoint analysis. I also conceptualized instrumentation for verifying physical parameters like slip angle, using sensors to validate simulation results against real-world measurements. This data-driven approach helped optimize the car's handling characteristics.
Fabrication & Manufacturing
I contributed to hands-on fabrication work including cutting and assembly using power tools. I also assisted with carbon fiber composite manufacturing — preparing molds, sanding, and finishing body panels. This gave me practical experience with composite layup techniques and workshop safety.
Project Ignition — DAQ Mentorship
In my final year, I mentored four first-year students through a 6-week 'Project Ignition' program. I designed a curriculum covering Arduino fundamentals, sensor interfacing (MPU9250 IMU, GPS modules), CAN protocol and message framing, and data visualization using Python Tkinter. The students built a functional DAQ system that logged vehicle data to CSV and displayed real-time plots of speed, acceleration, and heading.
Mentees: V Ananth Sai Gautham Konijeti, Harshith Kumar M B, Koustubh, Eshan Deb
Test Setup
Steering wheel display tested during vehicle test runs on campus. DAQ system validated by logging data from a moving vehicle and plotting speed, engine RPM, and heading in real-time.
Results
Key Finding Project outcomes
- Successfully implemented wireless steering wheel display meeting <5 second disconnect requirement
- MQTT protocol provided reliable real-time data transmission from ECU to steering wheel
- Suspension parameter verification using physical sensors validated simulation models
- Project Ignition mentees completed functional DAQ system with Tkinter GUI in 6 weeks
- GPS module identified as cost-effective alternative to MPU9250 for speed and position data
DAQ Sensor Comparison (from Project Ignition)
| Parameter | MPU9250 | GPS Module |
|---|---|---|
| Acceleration | ✓ (3-axis) | ✓ (derived) |
| Gyroscope | ✓ (3-axis) | ✗ |
| Magnetometer | ✓ (3-axis) | ✗ |
| Speed | ✗ (derived) | ✓ (instantaneous) |
| Position | ✗ | ✓ (lat/long) |
| Heading | ✓ (derived) | ✓ (direct) |
| Lap Timing | ✗ | ✓ |
| Cost | ~₹300 | ~₹300 |
GPS module provides more direct vehicle dynamics parameters (speed, position, lap time) at similar cost to IMU.
Skills Technical skills demonstrated
- Electronics: MQTT Protocol, Raspberry Pi, ESP32, CAN Bus, Arduino
- Software: Processing IDE, Python, Tkinter, Web Development
- Vehicle Dynamics: Suspension Design, A-arm geometry, Slip angle instrumentation
- Fabrication: Carbon Fiber Composites, Power Tools, Workshop safety
- Leadership: Mentorship, Curriculum design, Technical training
Team Contributions & credits
Progressed from intern to vehicle dynamics team member to student mentor over two years. Designed wireless steering wheel display, contributed to suspension design iterations, and mentored four first-year students through a 6-week DAQ training program.
Guided by Dr. Rajesh Mathivanan N — Faculty Advisor and Chairperson, Mechanical Engineering Department.
Technical collaboration with Team Haya Racing senior members on chassis, powertrain, and aerodynamics.
Facilitated by PES University workshop facilities and equipment.
Additional Information
External links and team photo.
