Mentor:

• Woongkul Lee

Detailed Description

The Powertrain & Autonomous Vehicular Engineering (PAVE) team develops high-performance electric drive systems for autonomous aerial vehicles, robotics, and competitive electric vehicles. In collaboration with Purdue IEEE Motorsports and GoAero, students gain hands-on experience designing real-world electrified mobility systems.

A major focus of the program is the development of both autonomous and manned electric go-karts for Purdue’s EV Grand Prix (EVGP) and Autonomous Karting Series (AKS), along with participation in autonomous motorsports research and other advanced mobility initiatives at Purdue University.

Students work across the full powertrain stack, including motor design, inverter development, field-oriented control, battery management systems, regenerative braking, embedded systems, vehicle communications, autonomous sensing, and thermal optimization. Projects span drone propulsion, robotic motion control, and high-voltage electric racing platforms, supported by simulation, dynamometer testing, and on-vehicle validation.

PAVE combines power electronics, controls, autonomy, and mechanical engineering to give students industry-relevant experience in electric mobility, motorsports, aerospace, and robotics.

Relevant Technologies

• CAN, Ethernet, and Vehicle Communication Networks
• Sensor Integration, Signal Conditioning, and Data Acquisition
• Sensor Fusion (IMU, GPS, LiDAR, Cameras, Wheel Speed Sensors)
• Power Electronics and Motor Drives
• Embedded Control Systems (FOC/BLDC)
• Battery Management and Energy Storage

Prerequisite Knowledge

• Recommended: introductory circuits (ECE 2k1 or equivalent) and basic programming (Python or C/C++). No prior motor control experience required—students motivated to learn embedded systems or power electronics are encouraged to apply. Interested students should attend the team’s orientation session held at the start of each semester for an overview of sub-teams and onboarding resources.