Engineering team wins multiple awards at national competition
The Fluid Mechanics team excelled at the 2026 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge with their Harley-inspired design and innovative engineering choices.
(From left) George Wesley, Ulises Arreola, JP Perniciaro, Matthew Manginelli, Shanmukha Kotaru and Omar Khalil at the competition.
Texas A&M University students from the Department of Engineering Technology and Industrial Distribution earned four awards at the National Fluid Power Association’s 2026 Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge in Rockford, Illinois.
The annual competition tasks students with designing and constructing a hydraulic-powered vehicle that meets safety and performance standards while demonstrating enhanced off-road functionality. The engineering challenge emphasizes the integration and optimization of fluid power systems, energy efficiency, durability and control strategies to maintain reliable operation on both normal and rugged terrain.
The challenge spans two semesters, during which the teams receive mentoring and feedback from fluid power industry members and earn competition points based on presentations. The project requirements push students to think beyond traditional engineering boundaries.
Comprised of three manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology students and three multidisciplinary engineering technology students, The Fluid Mechanics won third place overall as well as the best design award, best use of pneumatics award and third in the endurance race.
Their innovative design was heavily inspired by a Harley-Davidson motorcycle, with two wheels in front, a handlebar steering apparatus and a wishbone suspension. This was unique as the majority of the other team’s vehicles were recumbent-style while theirs was more upright with a small amount of forward leaning positioning.
The vehicle was larger than their competitors’ due to the team choosing an aluminum chassis rather than the more commonly used steel. This weight reduction was critical to success in the endurance race, which demonstrates the ability to effectively store and efficiently use the smallest amount of stored energy to propel the unassisted vehicle the greatest distance, proportional to its weight.
Other distinctive aspects of the design include the onboard compressor and the pneumatic shock on the soft tail swing-arm suspension. The air suspension was revolutionary as most teams who used pneumatics had either a gear changer or jack stand.
The team celebrates their success with Professor Gary Bradley at a Chicago Cubs game.
The team was proud of their electronic systems, which included a self-coded programmable logic controller and user interface, gas tank electrical housing and optimal ergonomics provided by the use of electronic throttles and brakes instead of buttons to activate different modes.
The competition provided the students with real-world engineering experience, including strict deadlines in the design, build, testing and demonstrating phases.
“One of the largest challenges was the time constraints in completing all project plans in time for our ship date,” said project manager J.P. Perniciaro. “We were very ambitious in doing almost all extra requirements that our professor asked us to consider. We spent many late nights in the lab and garage, sometimes until the sun rose.”
Other team members included Ulises Arreola, Wesley George, Omar Khalil, Shanmukha Kotaru and Matthew Manginelli.
“We definitely excelled in the endurance race despite our gearbox breaking just before the event started, leaving us with only five out of our nine gears,” Khalil said. “The most challenging was the sprint race, where we almost finished third, but struggled with the uphill course.”
Gary Bradley, professor in the manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology program, has mentored teams in the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge for many years and is very proud of the 2025-26 team.
“They represented Texas A&M and the department with passion and professionalism,” said Bradley. “They showed how to shoot for the moon, work well as a team, problem solve and have great enthusiasm about their education and forthcoming careers.”
The historic success of Texas A&M’s engineering technology teams in the Fluid Power Vehicle Challenge highlights the impact of the department’s focus on experiential learning that empowers students to develop innovative solutions to real-world challenges across engineering disciplines.
