Lt. Gov. Garlin Gilchrist was off to the races Tuesday at Square One’s 16th Annual Innovative Vehicle Design (IVD) Competition at the Kettering University GM Mobility Research Center.

Hundreds of middle school and high school students from across the state competed.

Gilchrist spoke to the students about how the skills they’re learning through this competition are just the beginning. He also posed for photos and waved the flag to start the Mini Innovative Vehicle and Full-Scale Innovative Vehicle races.  

Teams participated in three on-site challenges during the event:

• Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge
• Mini Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge
• Full-Scale Innovative Vehicle Challenge

Some V2X Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge students who previously competed virtually also gave demonstrations. The V2X challenge simulates the sensors and coding necessary for successful autonomous movement.

The Autonomous Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge project tasks students with re-engineering a Power Wheels Jeep into an autonomous vehicle. The Mini Innovative Vehicle Design Racing Challenge requires teams to re-engineer an electric 1/10th-scale RC vehicle for optimal performance. The Full-Scale Innovative Vehicle Design Challenge inspires teams to transform a gas-powered go-kart kit or build a car from the ground up into an electric or hybrid electric vehicle featuring an innovative component that sets it apart.  

The winners in each competition were:

Autonomous IVD

• Innovation Award: Divine Child High School 
• Engineering Award: Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team A1902 
• Perfect Pitch Award: Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team A2309
• Performance Award: Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team A2309 (first); Divine Child High School (second); Northwest High School (third)
• Ambassadorship Award: Northwest Education Services Career Tech  (Traverse City) Team A1901 
• Square One Award: Divine Child High School
• Craftsmanship Award: Clinton High School 
• Presentation Award: Hartland High School 

Full-Scale IVD

• Innovation Award: Williamston High School
• Engineering Award: Oxford High School Team F1504
• Perfect Pitch Award: Oxford High School Team F1504 and Oakland Schools Technical Campuses (tie)
• Performance Award: Southfield High School (first); Williamston High School (second); Oxford High School Team F1504 (third)
• Ambassadorship Award: AGBU Alex & Marie Manoogian School Team F1505 and Team F2303 (tie)
• Square One Award: Stevenson High School
• Craftsmanship Award: Oakland Schools Technical Campuses 
• Presentation Award: Oxford High School Team F1503

Mini IVD

• Innovation Award: Stevenson High School Team M2319 (first); Jackson Area Career Center (second)
• Engineering Award: Roseville High School (first); Stevenson High School Team M2318 (second)
• Perfect Pitch Award: Oak Park Middle School Team M2323 (first); Kingston Jr./Sr. High School (second)
• Ambassadorship Award: Reese High School (first); Flint Cultural Academy (second)
• Square One Award: Huron Area Tech Center (first); Glenn W. Levey Middle School (second)
• Performance: Stevenson High School Team M2319 (first); Clinton High School Team M1204 (second); St. Louis High School (third)
• Craftsmanship Award: Oak Park High School Team M1203 (first); Clinton High School Team M1205 (second)
• Presentation Award: Kingston Jr./Sr. High School (first); Reese Middle School (second)
• Top Speed Challenge: Stevenson High School Team M2319

V2X IVD (Virtual)

High School

• Innovative Engineering: Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team V2331 (first); Roseville High School (second); Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School Team V2217 (third)
• Performance Award: Oak Park High School (first); Martin Luther King Jr. Senior High School Team V2213 (second); Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team V2335 (third)
• Square One Award: Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team V2329
• Presentation Award: Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) Team V2335 (first); Martin Luther King Jr. Senior School Team V2213 (second); Jackson Area Career Center (third)

Middle School

• Innovative Engineering: EIT Academy (first); Davis Middle School Team V2211 (second)
• Square One Award: Algoma Christian School (first); Glenn W. Levey Middle School (second)
• Performance Award: Davis Middle School Team V2015 (first); EIT Academy (second); Algoma Christian School (third)
• Presentation Award: Reese Middle School Team V2203 (first); Reese Middle School Team V2314 (second)

Elementary

• Engineer’s Journal Award: Escanaba Upper Elementary School
• STEM Steward Award: Reese Elementary, Middle and High School
• CS Superstar Award: Barkell Elementary School (Hancock)
• Innovative Design Award: Escanaba Upper Elementary School
• Square One Award: R.B. Havens Elementary
• Performance Award: Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools (first); Barkell Elementary School (Hancock) (second); R.B. Havens Elementary (third)
• Presentation Award: Dollar Bay-Tamarack City Area Schools

Scholarship winners

• ITS Michigan Masters of Mobility Scholarship: Garrett Roels of Fraser High School, Riley Burns of Hartland High School and Jacob Snover of Northwest Education Services Career Tech (Traverse City) 
• Mike Bammer Memorial Scholarship: Noah Brown of Oakland Schools Technical Campuses
• Zach MacLean Memorial Scholarship: Steven Jones of Oak Park High School

Square One is a Michigan-based non-profit educational organization focused on developing talent in under-resourced communities and growing the science, technology, engineering and math (STEM) workforce for tomorrow. Through partnerships with higher education institutions and the industry, Square One empowers teachers and students with hands-on learning experiences around high-quality STEM projects.

This was the fourth time the competition took place at Kettering University. To check out a photo gallery of the day, click here.