Simon Crossley and the McLaren Dallas team provided the MAPS Engineering Design Class the opportunity to see how their vehicles form meets function. The design philosophy of the company identifies intentional engineering as the driving force behind their vehicles. Crossley, McLaren Dallas Brand Manager, described the use of sophisticated aerodynamics with advanced technologies such as carbon fibre and hybrid power to deliver safety and speed.
“Our juniors and seniors are designing and building RC cars for the second annual MAPS Grand Prix. McLaren gave them inside industry access that was exhilarating and informative,” Dr. Geoffrey Orsak, Director of the Moody Innovation Institute said, and added, “We are thankful to McLaren Dallas for sharing their expertise and engineering and design insight with the class.”
Michael Warren, Director of the MAPS Program, feels these types of professional partnerships set students on a path of discovery that takes them into their college careers prepared for investigative and creative challenges. “We designed this program to give our students the opportunity to work with experts like Simon Crossley and the McLaren Dallas team who can share real-world experiences that really enhance our curriculum.”
Juniors Bella Alomar and Brady Boyanovsky, who are designing a Formula One race model, were excited to hear the presentation. “They validated our design instincts. It was cool to hear how their engineer's harness aerodynamics to achieve top performance and we hope that we can do the same on our car.”
Check out the MAPS Grand Prix 2021 promo video here.