DC Handbook
What is Driver Controls[edit | edit source]
Welcome to the Driver Controls Subsystem! The driver controls subsystem in Formula SAE is crucial for the overall performance and safety of the vehicle. We connect the driver to the car, allowing them to stop, steer, and accelerate while minimizing fatigue and pain. We design the car to meet our driver's force capabilities while also maintaining drivability for the 5th percentile woman to 95th percentile man. We design, analyze, machine, and assemble over 40 custom components to complete this subsystem. Driver controls is a good place to learn basic and advanced mechanical engineering skills, such as mechanical design (SolidWorks CAD, GD&T, DFMA, MATLAB simulations), mechanical analysis (gears, bearings, fatigue, stress analysis, CAD, Ansys FEA), machining (lathe, mill, waterjet, CNC, CAM, etc.) *find machining resources in the CMA wiki section*, The subsystem is split into distinct sub-disciplines that interact with one another and other subsystems: steering, brakes, pedal box, seat, dashboard, shifter, and clutch.
Educational PPTS[edit | edit source]
Full - Vehicle Mechanical Overview[edit | edit source]
Steering[edit | edit source]
Pedal Box[edit | edit source]
Brakes[edit | edit source]
Clutch and Shifter[edit | edit source]
Seat and Dashboard[edit | edit source]
Ergonomics Overview[edit | edit source]
In the world of ergonomics, drivers are defined by their height percentile. For example, the 5th percentile woman is 4' 11", meaning that 95% of women are taller than this. Anthropometric data defines the length of every part of the human body relative to the height percentile, so that our team may simulate the entire driver from just knowing their height. FSAE requires the vehicle to be drivable for 5th percentile woman to 95th percentile man. Drivable encompasses 3 things - driver's available force, fatigue, and visibility.
To learn more, visit DC Ergonomic Analysis
