Brooke
Winkler.

Problem. Design, build, and compete a 125-lb robot on a ~6-week season with a young team and limited hands — every subsystem has to work on day one of quals.

Solution. I worked on mechanical and electrical design: rapid-prototyped intakes, helped tune the drivetrain, laid out wiring, and tested and iterated between matches.

Result. Impact Award · World Championship qualification · regional/state runs — and newer teammates who could run the pit by season's end.

Problem. The 2026 rules change a lot about F1 power units — a bigger electric split, sustainable fuels, active aero. I'm studying them to understand what changes about the racing.

Solution. Reading the technical regulations section by section and taking notes on how each rule could affect powertrain design, deployment, and overtaking.

Result. Living research notes — informing future Formula SAE powertrain thinking and my summer-2027 motorsports internship direction.

Problem. I wanted to get faster at going from a sketch to a physical part.

Solution. Regular practice: parametric modeling, designing for fabrication, then print, break, fix, and reprint.

Result. A small library of parts — and a growing sense of tolerances, fasteners, and what to simplify.

Problem. FRC taught me to finish and ship a robot. Next I want to learn cars — suspension, aero, powertrain, testing.

Solution. Joining Michigan Tech's Formula SAE effort: start where the team needs hands, earn design responsibility, bring FRC habits for CAD discipline, wiring quality, and pit operations.

Result. To be built — starting fall 2026. I'm hoping to talk motorsports internships for summer 2027.