Electric cars made by KU undergraduates run on campus

Korea University hosted a future car hackathon.

Korea University’s future car hackathon, a three-day event co-hosted by KU Makerspace and Korean hardware accelerator N15, came to an end on Friday, July 12.

* Hackathon: A compound word combining “hacking” and “marathon,” referring to a sprint-like event in which people involved in design, development, and planning collaborate intensively in teams to develop prototype solutions to a certain challenge through the process of idea creation, planning, and programing over the period of a few days like a marathon

Five teams made of 6 to 8 Korea University undergraduates created and demonstrated rideable one-person electric cars under different themes, including IoT, eco-friendliness, and safety.

On June 26, the participants began receiving training from KU faculty and N15 on the theory and practice of automobile manufacturing. From July 10 to 12, they went through a series of processes—electric vehicle design and housing design, proposing mobility ideas, electric car manufacturing, idea implementation, driving evaluation, and final presentations—that led to the final evaluation.

▲ First place: Cardians of the Galaxy

The winners of the hackathon were determined based on the results of a driving evaluation (safety of vehicles, etc.) and a final evaluation (students’ engagement rates, design, ideas, etc.).

The final presentations took place on July 12, the last day of the hackathon. At 3:00 p.m., the participants showcased their electric vehicles on the special test-drive tracks set up at the basketball court on the KU Science Campus.

▲ Second place: Goodriver

The first prize went to team “Cardians of the Galaxy,” led by Seung-Hyun Kim (School of Health and Environmental Sciences). Second place went to “Goodriver,” led by Joo-Won Kim (School of Electrical Engineering), while third place went to “Chamsari of Fury,” led by Seong-Joo Lee (School of Mechanical Engineering). The winners will receive cash prizes of 1,000,000 won, 500,000 won, and 500,000 won, respectively.

▲ Third place: Chamsari of Fury

Joon-Hyung Shim, the head of KU Makerspace said, “Over the next 10 years, the paradigm of the automotive industry will shift toward electric vehicles, autonomous vehicles, and connected vehicles. The participants of this hackathon will design and create next-generation vehicles, which will be more than just a means of transportation.”