All-terrain vehicles (ATVs), developed by students of eight colleges, zoomed on sandy tracks at ‘Quad Squad 2017’, a three-day event being organised by the Federation of Automotive Motor Sports (FOAMS) and Sethu Institute of Technology, Pulloor, Virudhunagar district, from Friday.
The event primarily focuses on providing technological knowledge to young engineers interested in building the ATVs. P. Jayakaran, the brain behind the FOAMS, said motor sport was gaining popularity in several parts of south India. “Most of the events revolving around building remote-controlled cars, karts and the ATVs happen in north India now,” he said.
The ATVs would be adjudged on several parameters such as vehicle safety, accessory control, manoeuvrability, business plan and cost presentation. The organisers, however, stressed that safety was the motto of the event. On the final day, an endurance and fuel economy test would be conducted, in which the ATVs would perform laps.
A. Senthil Kumar, Principal, said design and fabrication knowledge were key to an engineer’s growth. He said several students from mechanical and automobile engineering departments evinced keen interest in the field.
B.S. Vignesh, captain of the team from UKF College of Engineering, Kollam, Kerala, said they worked on designing the ATV for four months. They used a very light material – AISI 4130 alloy steel – to make the vehicle. Most of the ATVs gave a mileage of 25 kilometres per litre.
