Interiors MSXIV

Owned by Robin Pearce
Last updated: May 10, 2021 by Kristen S
6 min read

Welcome to Interiors

Hi! And welcome to interiors. We're a small, diverse team responsible for the design, manufacture, and execution of MSXIV's interior. This includes everything from ergonomics to electrical enclosures to interior material selection. If you are interested in designing good-looking, functional, user-facing products then this is the subteam for you!

If you're new here, this page should cover just about everything you need to get started!

Talk to you soon!

-Renzo (@Renzo on slack)



Meet the Team

 

Lead - Renzo Villanoy

I just started my 3A term as a fellow Mech boi and have been with Interiors since F2019. In addition to being a lead, I'm also managing the design/manufacturing of the battery enclosure and dashboard for MSXIV.

I joined Interiors mainly because the projects we tackle require a nice mix of creativity and practicality which I enjoy. This team is still in its baby stages since our current car, MSXIV, will be the first to have a dedicated interiors plan. This means we are starting from a blank slate and pretty much have free creative reign!

My engineering interests include industrial and product design, as well as VR/AR. I love to draw and have been at it for as long as I can remember. One of my goals was (and is) to get into the animation biz someday.

 

Lead - Ali Arshad

Hey! I just finished my 2A Mechatronics engineering term, though I’m more of a mech boy. I’ll be learning and working with Renzo to co-lead the interiors team starting S2021 with a focus on dashboard design and manufacturing for MSXIV along with other upcoming projects.

I chose to join interiors since I wanted the chance at learning some of the creative design aspects of mechanical engineering and felt the interiors team was at a stage where I would have a chance to truly learn that process from the beginning stage to end.

My interests include product design as well as robotics. I’m an avid car guy but am also an advocate for a green future so working with Midnight sun and getting experience with the best of both worlds has been a blast. My dream job would probably be to work as an aerodynamics engineer for an F1 team.

 

 

PM - Sheila Afros

I just finished my 3A term of management eng and started a data science coop at Health Canada! I am one of the DRI’s of the seats projects. I am also starting my first term as the PM. I have been on the team since F2018 my 1A term (ik, I’m old).

I joined interiors because I found I was missing physics and design portion that I love in engineering (as MGMT is mostly opti). This team gives me a really great opportunity to work with and learn from other engineers. I look forward to getting in the bay to test and build the seats for the car!

I am interested in supply chain/manufacturing optimization (using stochastic methods/models + data mining + work design + forecasting models). Hopefully in the future I will be able to work in the healthcare field to optimize the delivery/manufacturing of medical equipment.

 

Advisor - Adrian Au

I was born and raised in the small town of Brockville, ON about an hour east of Kingston, ON. I have a younger brother who is in his 4th year of Commerce at Queens and my parents are both family doctors. I grew up speaking only English so I'm way more fluent in French than Cantonese. Heck, my Spanish and German (which I only picked up from travelling) is even better than my Canto.

I just graduated!!!! I’ve done a lot of work with composites and even had the honour to design the aerobody for the previous solar car (MSXII). I'm interested in industrial design and product design and have done my last few co-ops at Ecobee, North, and ATS. My dream job would be running my own start-up where I get to tackle important global problems by applying my engineering and design skills. I love a well-brewed cup of coffee, working with my hands, and watching the latest This Old Tony video.

Problem

Problem Statement

Design and bring to manufacture an interior space for MSXIV which maximized the practicality score of the vehicle during competition while not limiting usability or comfort. Historically, solar cars have been an efficiency-first endeavor which does not put much precedent on the occupants' comfort. MSXIV's interior design shall strive to be a balance between form and function. 

Goals 

Maximize practicality score at competition, increase ease in sponsorship, expand areas of interest for recruitment and maintain a user-focused design.



The 3 pillars of interiors should be:

  • Minimalistic scoring-focused design

  • Strategic feature inclusion

  • Designing for ease of manufacturing and implementation

Constraints Regulations 

Refer to ASC and WSC occupant regulations

Criteria 

4-occupant vehicle

Able to fit 95th percentile driver (modified rear occupants)

Minimize cost

Maximize practicality

 

Scope

 

Activity

Must have

  • Safety measures for chassis, aero, driver controls (padding, lights, sounds). 

  • Clear Visibility to exterior

  • 4 seats - 1 Driver, 3 Passenger

  • Lightweight, Ergonomic Seats

  • Driver interface

  • Storage space

  • Aesthetic Design

  • Ventilation

  • Comfort Features (Cup Holders...)

  • Driver Controls

  • Seat belts

Nice to have

  • Easy of Manufacture 

  • Cover all chassis members

  • Lightweight interior paneling 

  • Cover all wiring

  • USB chargers

  • Minimalist Design

  • Minimalist Driver Console

  • Sound system

Not in scope

  • VR didgital double of interior for design and testing of future cars

 

In terms of overall workflow, most work is done independently but will have stakeholders/collaborators from other parts of the team. I.e the battery box cover is being designed by a DRI on the interiors team but will involve a lot of collaboration with the hardware and mechanical team. Work is typically assigned during the Wednesday meeting and then further discussed on Saturdays!




Colour Codes

When you look at the page menu on the left, you will see different colours next to the various Interiors projects. These colours represent the current stage of each project in order to keep track of progress as a whole.

🟠 - Design phase

🟡 - Wrapping up design and prepping for manufacturing

🟢 - Manufacturing

🔵 - Complete

Complicated Chart Thingy

 

Our Toolkit

SolidWorks

  • For all mechanical related work, we use Solidworks 2019 (note that there is no backwards compatibility, so make sure to use 2019)

  • CAD files are shared via GrabCad.

Slack

  1. Slack is the main hub for all communication. Interiors Channels you should be a part are:

    1. #mech-interior (for all interior related discussion)

    2. #mech-interior-displays (for all UI/UX project discussions)

    3. #mechanical (for all mechanical team discussion)

    4. #cute-animals

Trello

Zoom

  • Zoom (I'm sure everyone is well aware of what this software is now) is where our meetings are hosted from.

  • Links to join meetings are typically shared in their respective slack channels and also in #meetings

Google Drive

 

Reference materials