Student Design Competition

ISTVS 2026 | October 11-15, 2026 | Pretoria, South Africa

Step up to the engineering challenge of the 2026 ISTVS Student Wheel Design Competition, hosted at the University of Pretoria as part of the 56th Conference of the International Society for Terrain-Vehicle Systems.

We are calling on undergraduate and graduate student teams worldwide to apply foundational terramechanics principles by designing a 3D-printable wheel optimised for maximum traction. Your objective is to engineer the wheel geometry and predict the ideal angular velocity required to maximise drawbar pull.

The competition organisers will manufacture your design and subject it to rigorous empirical testing in a controlled sand soil bin under identical load conditions for all teams. Prove the validity of your theoretical models, as your overall performance is evaluated on maximum drawbar pull, predictive accuracy, a technical design report, and a formal presentation.

Register your team by 15 May 2026 to secure your place in the competition, and submit your final deliverables by 25 September 2026.

The official rulebook and required materials can be found on Google Drive. For more information, please reach out to Andries Peenze at [email protected].