2020 would be a great year for FST Lisboa: the team would participate in three important FST competitions worldwide: FS Spain, FS Germany and FS Austria, and would present the autonomous prototype developed from scratch by Técnico’s team. When the Coronavirus pandemic started, the FST was starting to build two prototypes: the FST 10e and the FST10d. Although the circumstances, the team united around a common goal: to finish both prototypes by 15th September.
“In the beginning, the team members were demotivated and beaten down, which is normal because competitions are the highlight of the year”, recalls Inês Netto Viveiros, the team leader. The desire to move the project forward, encouraged the team members to “build both cars and improve the prototype testing, which is very important to increase their performance”, says the team leader. This will allow “the implementation of mechanisms necessary for the validation of systems, obtaining very useful data for the design of future cars”, explains the Técnico student.
The creation of new work dynamics was crucial to keep the team united. “We scheduled daily briefings, which still remain, so that all members could know and see what was done in the workshop even though they could not be present”, says Inês Netto Viveiros. “We joined the discord platform and created a work environment at our own image, which even included the ‘rooms’ – in virtual format – that we usually have in our laboratory, and where all people were encouraged to work during the day”, explains the team leader. The team’s strategy was clear: to continue working from home as a team.
One of the decisions that resulted from the confinement was to involve all university students in the exterior design of the prototypes. To this end, the team decided to create the Wrap Design Contest. “Generally the vinyl design is done by a member of our team or by one of our sponsors. This year, we hope to see innovative designs and make our team known to students from all over the country”, says Inês Netto Viveiros.
FST Lisboa joined Técnico researchers in the production of medical shields. “We also donated medical shields to some institutions that had a very special meaning for some of us, but in general we were involved in the printing process”, says Inês Netto Viveiros.
“In addition to the use of mask, frequent hand washing and disinfection of tools and work benches, the team tries to maintain social distance and is working in small groups such as way to reduce the number of people at the workshop”, explains the team leader. “In this way, it is easy for us to track who might be infected if one of us tests positive”, she adds.
“We are already building our monocoque chassis – one of the main and most complex parts of the electric car – which is expected to be finished in mid-July. This is extremely important for our team because this is when we can start to assemble all systems. It is possible to easily see the evolution of the prototype from day to day”, says the project leader.
Since the deadline for finishing the FST Lisboa prototypes was postponed to September, the FST Lisboa roll-out is not yet known. “We made improvements in the whole wheel assembly, in the battery and aerodynamic package of the electric prototype. In order to make known the new specifications of the two cars, last month we published our ‘Design Magazine’”, highlights the Técnico student.
Looking at these changes from a distance, Inês Netto Viveiros stresses “most of our team members feel excited and keep motived. The first time we start the car, put it on the track and it rolls on the road it’s something especially motivating”. “The competition experience itself was not stolen, it was only postponed until the following summer. This puts more pressure on the team as we are expected to have better results with this extension of time”, adds the team leader.
