Advancing STEM Education with a Solar-Powered Self-Driving EV Platform

The Electrical Engineering Department at the University of Cape Town (UCT) has recognized the need to expose pre-university learners, especially those in underprivileged communities, to various fields in electrical engineering. STEM outreach focusing on electrical engineering can address this gap. This paper presents the development and implementation of HeliosRover, an advanced educational platform featuring solar-tracking power, remote control, and self-driving capabilities designed to engage pre-university learners in electrical engineering. The interdisciplinary platform integrates mechatronics, electrical, and mechanical engineering with renewable energy, providing a comprehensive educational tool. HeliosRover features a modular chassis, hybrid charging system, robust drivetrain, and interactive electronics. Surveys from its first field test, an outreach event at Portland High School in Cape Town, showed increased learner interest in electrical engineering, demonstrating HeliosRover's impact over its predecessor, Solar Car v3. HeliosRover successfully demonstrated autonomous driving, solar tracking, and efficient power management, providing hands-on, experiential learning in renewable energy, power electronics, machine learning, and computer vision.