Cairo University Racing Team (CURT)

Team Overview

Founded in 2012, Cairo University Racing Team is a pioneer in Formula Student competitions not only in Egypt but also in Africa & MENA Region. Cairo University Racing Team (CURT) is composed of over 150 passionate students from diverse fields, including Mechanical, Electrical, and Aerospace Engineering, as well as Computer Science and Business Management. As the first Egyptian team to compete in the Formula Student competitions, we are dedicated to designing and building electric and autonomous vehicles, representing Egypt and the MENA region in international competitions held in the UK, Germany, and Italy.

CURT has consistently achieved outstanding results, including top rankings in cost efficiency and design categories, as well as being the highest-ranked team from the MENA region. Our mission is to push the boundaries of sustainable vehicle technology and inspire the next generation of engineers through our achievements.

Figure 1 - Last Achievement for CURT in 2024 crowned as second place out of 600 team in Manufacturing and Design League in Youth Leaders Foundation  

Our Achievements: Driving Innovation and Excellence

Since our inception in 2012, the Cairo University Racing Team has made history as a pioneer in Formula Student competitions, proudly representing Egypt and the MENA region on an international stage. Over the years, we’ve celebrated major milestones that continue to fuel our passion and drive for excellence:

• 2015: Honored with the Most Challenging Award at Formula Student Germany, showcasing our resilience and determination to overcome the toughest engineering challenges.
• 2016: Achieved a groundbreaking feat as the only Egyptian and African team to successfully complete all technical inspections in Formula Student Germany and UK—a true testament to our dedication and technical prowess.
• 2019: Ranked 5th place in electric car design at Formula Student UK, securing the top spot in the MENA region! This achievement solidified our status as innovators in sustainable engineering.
• 2020: Crowned 1st place in the YLF Manufacturing League, showcasing our exceptional design and production capabilities.
• 2021: Ranked highest in the MENA region in the Formula Student UK design event and won a Bronze medal at the Geneva International Exhibition of Invention—a true honor on the world stage.
• 2022: Competed as the only Egyptian team in Formula Student UK with our electric vehicle (EV) and autonomous system, pushing the boundaries of next-gen vehicle technology.
• 2024: Crowned 2nd place in the YLF Manufacturing League, showcasing our exceptional design and production capabilities.
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Looking to the future, we’re more driven than ever to lead the charge in innovation, aiming to place among the Top 5 teams in Formula Student UK 2025. With each milestone, we continue to break barriers, inspire the next generation, and bring sustainable engineering to the forefront on behalf of Egypt and the MENA region.

Project Highlights: Formula Student 2025

One of our primary projects, Formula Student 2025, is our entry into this year’s competition at Silverstone, UK. This competition challenges us to design, build, and race an electric, formula-style vehicle that meets rigorous performance and sustainability standards. Our team’s history of excellence and commitment to advancing clean energy technology drives us to continually innovate and improve our designs to compete at the highest levels.

In our preparation for Formula Student, CURT requires advanced PCB designs for various subsystems, as these play a critical role in the vehicle’s performance and reliability.

PCB Requirements within the CURT Team

Key systems in our Formula Student vehicle rely on custom PCBs to ensure efficient power delivery, precise control, and data processing.

Our system includes four PCBs designed to efficiently manage power distribution across various low-voltage systems in the vehicle, continuously monitor all vehicle signals, and precisely control multiple functions based on real-time feedback. Each PCB is compliant with FSUK rules.

LVS1 (Low Voltage System 1)

LVS1 manages multiple power domains and is responsible for shutting down the circuit if it detects any abnormal conditions. This board processes controller outputs to drive higher power components based on those signals. It also includes fault detection with a latching mechanism that requires manual reset, ensuring system safety and stability. LVS1 interfaces with various systems, including insulation monitoring device, and battery management system to monitor their condition and take an action based on those signals.

LVS2 (Low Voltage System 2)

LVS2 focuses on monitoring system feedback and signal processing between the microcontroller and other vehicle systems. It communicates with other boards to properly transmit signals across different systems. Additionally, LVS2 manages various signals from the cockpit, providing the driver with the necessary control over the system.

TSAL (Tractive System Active Light)

The TSAL is a safety indicator used to indicate the status of the Tractive System using a simple visual alert system. It includes a red flashing light that activates when the TS voltage exceeds a set limit, and a green steady light that signals when TS voltage is below this threshold. This board operates using purely hard-wired electronics, without software control, ensuring reliability and compliance with all safety standards.

BSPD (Brake System Plausibility Device)

This board is an unprogrammable circuit designed to detect hard braking under specific conditions using the required sensors readings. The board disconnects the main circuit to turn off the motor when a fault is detected, and once the fault is resolved, it automatically restores normal operation after a preset delay. This functionality provides an essential layer of safety to the braking system.

Challenges in PCB Manufacturing in Egypt

As a student team operating in Egypt, we face unique challenges in sourcing high-quality PCBs within our timelines. Local manufacturing capabilities are limited to two-layer boards and often require three weeks for completion, which hinders our ability to iterate quickly for testing and validation. CURT’s designs frequently require four-layer PCBs for system complexity, and PCBWay’s quick prototyping capabilities would allow us to overcome these limitations, providing our team with high-quality PCBs and faster development cycles.

Noteworthy Sponsorships and Software Partnerships

CURT is proud to be sponsored by prominent companies, including IPG Automotive, MathWorks, SimScale, SolidWorks, and particularly Altium Designer, which we rely on extensively for our PCB designs. We know that Altium Designer sponsorship is valuable to PCBWay, as our license enables us to meet advanced design standards in Formula Student competitions.

The Impact of PCBWay’s Support

With PCBWay’s sponsorship, we could develop more efficient and reliable technology to compete internationally. Your support would provide us with high-quality PCBs to test, validate, and refine our designs effectively. Additionally, quick turnarounds would enable more team members to participate in the hands-on PCB design process, expanding their skills and experience.

Our collaboration with PCBWay would significantly enhance our technical capabilities, allowing us to focus on innovation and performance. This partnership would also align with PCBWay’s commitment to fostering future engineers and supporting sustainable, cutting-edge projects in the tech and engineering fields.

We are excited about the potential to collaborate with PCBWay and achieve our goals with your support. Thank you for considering this opportunity to empower the Cairo University Racing Team on our journey to Formula Student 2025 and beyond.

You can also follow us on our Social Media Platforms: https://linktr.ee/cairo_uni_racing_team?utm_source=qr_code

Here is our website also: https://curt-fs-website.vercel.app/