 ::. May 23rd - Master class Following last year’s striking Piet Mondrian-inspired design, which won third prize in the design category, The Dutch Painters team from Hofstad Lyceum, The Hague, was under pressure to maintain their high standards. Taking inspiration from another Dutch master painter, Vincent Van Gogh, this year’s design is every bit as eye catching. The Van Gogh sunflower motif has led to the car being named Tournesol (French for sunflower). The car has also been designed with safety in mind, situating the engine behind the driver, who can easily exit the vehicle. The team is also hoping to win the judge’s approval in the communications category. “We wrote a lot of articles in local papers to explain what we are doing and why,” said team member, Maartye Bouwens.
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 ::. May 23rd - The joystick of driving Hoping to steer their way to a good finish in this year’s prototype competition are the lads from the Chemnitz University of Technology in Germany. The team, known as Fortis Saxiona, has devised a special joystick steering system that sends an electronic signal to the motor control. The advantage of the design, said team member, André Riedel, is that “it is easier to handle because it only has one cable”. Moreover, the reaction speed of the steering system can adapt to different driving speeds thus achieving greater stability. The team’s hydrogen fuel cell vehicle also boasts other improvements this year: the weight of its “honeycomb” chasse has been reduced from 16 to 9k.
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