FILOALFA STORIES EP. 8 - SAPIENZA CORSE
Sapienza Corse Racing Team
Sapienza Corse is a student team from La Sapienza University of Rome that designs and builds a self-driving car that competes in the Formula SAE championship.
The team is made up of more than 30 young people from different backgrounds, each of whom is able to offer their skills to the group.
Gajarda, the black beast
The team developed the first self-driving car in Italy and was the first in Europe to finish a race with driverless technology and an internal combustion engine. It won several awards in 2019, including first place in the Driverless Class Overall in the FSAE Italy.
Through the use of 3D printers and FILOALFA® technical filaments, including AlfaOmnia, Abs and filled PLA, Sapienza Corse develops functional parts for the single-seater.
The first self-driving car in Italy
A fundamental part of the single-seater is the support for the stereo cameras, a component very difficult to produce with traditional technologies, which was 3D printed with AlfaOmnia filament.
The component is extremely important because it allows the calculation of the distance of the car from the cones that delimit the path and consequently calculate the ideal trajectory. For this reason, 3D printing was the right technology to know with certainty the exact angle of the stereo cameras in relation to the ground.
Other 3D printed components
Some of the tests in the championship require a human driver inside the car. This is to facilitate movement and for safety reasons, such as the braking test.
In order to guarantee the driver's safety in the event of a malfunction, there is an evacuation test, in which the driver must be able to exit the cockpit in less than five seconds. For this reason, Gajarda is equipped with an extremely resistant 3D-printed case that protects the delicate sensors and processors inside, even if the pilot hits it on the way out.
In addition to these, there are numerous 3D printed parts that complement the carbon and steel in the car.
A hybrid future
After its success with the internal combustion engine, the Sapienza Corse team is already working on a hybrid prototype, with the hope of further improving its racing results.
FIND OUT MORE ABOUT SAPIENZA CORSE
