HomeLocal NewsUniversity of Illinois Students Engineer Innovative 'Couch Car' for Unmatched Campus Mobility

University of Illinois Students Engineer Innovative ‘Couch Car’ for Unmatched Campus Mobility

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URBANA, Ill. (WCIA) — While a wandering cow on the University of Illinois campus has been catching attention, another unusual sight—a “couch car”—has also sparked curiosity.

This innovative creation comes from two engineering students who designed it as a showcase project for their year-end STEM fair. The vehicle is ingeniously constructed with a wooden frame, powered by two electric scooter motors and a 36-volt battery.

The students proudly described the couch car as the most exciting project they’ve undertaken, calling it “one of our greatest accomplishments.”

“This was a passion project for us,” explained Manmitha Gunaskera. “We compiled a list of parts, designed it using CAD, and enlisted a dedicated team. Over the course of three months, we steadily made progress.”

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