Awake Challenge — Autonomous Mini-Vehicle

chassis iterations

wheels — independent suspension

fabrication methods

Python

autonomy stack

The Awake Challenge is an inter-school engineering competition organised by Awake Group, challenging student teams from different engineering schools to design, build, and program a miniature autonomous vehicle from scratch. The goal: fastest and most reliable navigation through a defined course.

Awake Challenge competition poster — Awake Challenge — inter-school autonomous vehicle competition, Awake Group.

Mechanical design — three iterations

The initial chassis was machined from PVC sheet — lightweight, easy to work with, dimensionally stable. The drivetrain used a single DC motor (MCC) with a belt-pulley transmission driving the rear wheel axle, and adjustable geometry for wheel alignment.

First chassis prototype, annotated — First prototype — PVC chassis with DC motor, belt-pulley transmission, and wheel axle.

The drivetrain was then redesigned around a gear train instead of a belt, improving transmission efficiency and reducing slip. Spring suspension was added to all four wheels for ground contact stability on uneven surfaces.

Drivetrain with gear train and suspension — Drivetrain — DC motor, gear train, and spring suspension on the second iteration.

The final chassis was fully modelled in SolidWorks and 3D-printed, with a compact form factor to reduce mass and inertia, a front-mounted camera recess at a fixed viewing angle, lateral ports for ultrasonic sensor alignment, and an integrated Raspberry Pi mounting plate.

3D CAD model with camera, sensors and Raspberry Pi — 3D CAD model (SolidWorks) — chassis with camera, ultrasonic sensors, and Raspberry Pi.

Electronics & autonomy

The vehicle used a Raspberry Pi as the main computing unit, connected to ultrasonic sensors for multi-angle obstacle detection, a camera module for lane following and path recognition, and a motor driver board for speed and direction control. The autonomy stack was programmed in Python, with sensor fusion from the ultrasonic array feeding a reactive navigation controller.

A faster fallback: laser-cut chassis

Alongside the 3D-printed version, a complete laser-cut design was produced — chassis body, spoiler, side walls, and support brackets — all dimensioned for flat-sheet fabrication.

Laser-cut chassis plans — chassis walls, spoiler, and supporting parts with dimensions.

Two fabrication paths for one chassis: 3D printing for the primary build, laser-cutting as a faster-to-manufacture fallback.

Final assembled autonomous vehicle — Final assembled vehicle — electronics board, green PCB, and four-wheel suspension.

What this demonstrates

An end-to-end hardware project: from competition brief to a physical, working autonomous vehicle. Each mechanical iteration — prototype, gear-train redesign, final 3D-printed chassis — had a specific rationale, and the project integrates mechanics, electronics, and software in a single system, with a CAD-to-fabrication workflow spanning both 3D printing and laser cutting.