Autodrive

To be an active group member, students are expected to commit at least 2 hours per week.

Hands-on Experience: Participation in the AutoDrive team provides students with practical, hands-on experience in designing, building, and testing autonomous vehicles. This experience is invaluable for students pursuing careers in the automotive industry or related fields.

Skills Development: Team members have the opportunity to develop a wide range of skills, including programming, robotics, electronics, mechanical engineering, and project management.

Networking: Joining the AutoDrive team allows you to connect with like-minded peers, professors, and industry professionals.

Professional Growth: Besides technical skills, being a part of a competitive engineering team teaches leadership, teamwork, communication, and problem-solving skills.

Access to Resources: Being a part of a university-affiliated team often means access to resources such as funding, workspace, tools, and equipment that may not be available to individual students.

Resume Enhancement: Involvement in a prestigious project like AutoDrive can make your resume stand out to potential employers. It demonstrates your commitment to real-world engineering challenges and can give you an edge in job applications.

Competitions and Recognition: Many SAE AutoDrive teams participate in competitions and receive recognition for their achievements. Winning or participating in these events can boost team morale and add prestige to your university and personal portfolio.

Impactful Projects: AutoDrive teams work on cutting-edge technologies related to autonomous vehicles, which have the potential to revolutionize the automotive industry and improve road safety. Contributing to such projects can be personally fulfilling and make a positive impact on society.

Mentorship: AutoDrive teams often have experienced faculty advisors and industry mentors who provide guidance and support. These mentors can offer valuable insights and help you navigate your academic and career path. We also have three mentors dedicated to the Kettering Bulldog Bolt team to assist with competitions (GM, MathWorks, Intel).

Fun and Camaraderie: Working on exciting projects with motivated individuals can be enjoyable. The camaraderie and shared passion for technology can make your university experience more fulfilling.

Kettering University Involvement

Kettering University’s campus is equipped with the infrastructure and faculty expertise to develop the next generation of autonomous vehicle technologies.

Infrastructure

Kettering is the only college campus in the country with an industry-standard proving ground. The facility includes a low-speed road course with elevation and surface changes, a 3.25 acre test pad built to race track performance specifications and other features aimed at creating diverse testing environments. A garage facility includes automotive bays, conference and office space and indoor lab space.

Faculty Expertise

Faculty in Mechanical Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Computer Engineering and Computer Science collaboratively developed the goals, objectives and opportunities for current and future Kettering students to participate in the AutoDrive Challenge.

This challenge puts Kettering students at the forefront of technological innovation related to the development of autonomous vehicles, connects them with a network of scholars and peers from the nation’s elite schools who are attempting to solve similar challenges and provides access to national workshops hosted by SAE International.