Seeing Sleek Shells by the Seashore

The 15th annual Human-Powered Vehicle Contest takes place this weekend in San Diego, bringing together 300 engineering students from the United States and Canada to see who can build the fastest non-motorized machine.

The contest’s souped-up bicycles can reach speeds of up to 60 mph, mostly due to highly advanced fairings, or aerodynamic shells that reduce drag. The public is invited to watch the final leg of the three-part competition: a 64-kilometer relay held Sunday at the Naval Training Center.

The contest is sponsored by the American Society of Mechanical Engineering and is hosted by the society’s student chapter at the UC San Diego School of Engineering. Other California schools expected to participate include San Francisco State, San Jose State, Cal State Long Beach and UC Irvine.

For more information, call (619) 534-6277 or check out https://www.seismo.unr.edu/asme/hpvComp/1997/index.html

CYBERSPACE

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