The Innoptus Solar Team, a group of 20 engineering students from KU Leuven, has unveiled the second major innovation in its latest solar car, the Infinite Apollo. With the Bounce – an adaptive ride height system – they hope to win their third world title at the World Solar Car Championship.
The championship will take place in Australia from 24 to 28 August.
The adaptive ride height system is a first in the history of Belgian solar cars. Powered by a hydraulic mechanism, the Bounce allows the Infinite Apollo to change its ride height in real time, depending on speed and road conditions. This improves both stability and aerodynamics, two crucial factors in the 3,000 km race through the Australian Outback.
"Driving through the Outback is never easy. With a larger solar panel and a smaller battery, the focus is even more on stability. That is why we developed the Bounce, so that the car can adapt to everything we encounter along the way," said Sam Dilmaghanian, electronic engineer at the Innoptus Solar Team.
Credit: Innoptus Solar Team
With a 6 m² solar panel (50% larger than before), a lower chassis is particularly beneficial for stability. The Bounce lowers the car for greater stability, for example, in strong crosswinds, and raises the ride height on rough or uneven surfaces.
The system is designed to respond quickly so that the car can always drive over bumps and obstacles while complying with the rules of the competition. By precisely controlling the car's centre of gravity, the Bounce gives the team more control, flexibility and reliability throughout the race.
"The Bounce is part of a broader trend in the automotive industry, where adjustable ride height systems are increasingly being used to allow vehicles to adapt to changing conditions in real time," said mechanical engineer and driver Lander Deprez.
"We are applying this same principle to solar car racing and refining it for the extreme challenges of the Outback," he said.
