The application deadline for the Buggy Enhancement Grants is TOMORROW, January 23 at midnight! If you have an idea for something that would enhance your enjoyment of the sport, this is your chance to receive funding and bring that vision to life!
Submit you grant application here: https://cmubuggy.org/2025springgrant
If you would like tips to strengthen your application, consider reading All About Buggy Enhancement Grants, or reviewing some previously approved grant applications.
Real Time Kinematic GPS has been a popular topic in Buggy Enhancement Grant proposals. As more teams are expressing interest in building out their own data loggers, I wanted to share some info on two proven systems that will allow you to get centimeter level accurate data from the buggy course.
This quality of data opens a lot of opportunities, and I’m sure we’ve still only seen the tip of the iceberg. Drivers can clearly see the differences in their line between rolls and quantitatively compare the rollouts. Mechanics can see where and how much energy is lost in different parts of the course to fine tune the steering configurations and tire treatments. Pushers can automatically collect split times and even drill down into technique and how much power was delivered during a transition shove.
If this has you feeling inspired, I hope you’ll consider applying for a Spring 2025 Buggy Enhancement Grant. Applications are due by midnight on Thursday, January 23rd.
This system was developed by the CMU Robotics Club. Detailed documentation can be found in the project GitHub: https://github.com/CMU-Robotics-Club/rtk-datalogger Note that some soldering will be required. For specifics on where to purchase components and other tips and tricks for getting started with RTK, please refer to the Onboarding Doc.
I would have liked to recommend purchasing a ZED-F9R for the built in accelerometer and ability to integrate wheel rotation and steering input sensors, but that might require changes to the PCB design and updates to the firmware.
| Part | Cost |
| Seed Studio RP2040 | $4 |
| SparkFun ZED-F9P | $250 |
| GNSS Antenna | $73 |
| USB Breakout Board | $5 |
| SD Card Reader | $4 |
| OLED Board | $14 |
| USB-C Battery Pack | $20 |
| SD Card | $12 |
| PCB | See GitHub |
| Total | $382 |
This system does not require any soldering. We’re working on building out a set of scripts to automate the setup, post processing, and gathering logs from a fleet of devices over WiFi. Keep an eye on the project GitHub and reach out if you are interested in the beta. For specifics on where to purchase components and other tips and tricks for getting started with RTK, please refer to the Onboarding Doc.
| Part | Cost |
| Raspberry Pi Zero W 2 | $18 |
| ZED-F9R Dead Reckoning Pi Hat | $290 |
| GNSS Antenna | $73 |
| USB-C Battery Pack | $20 |
| SD Card | $12 |
| Total | $413 |
I want to thank Anish Singhani and Delaynie McMillan as the original authors of the Buggy Enhancement Grants that made this possible and for the incredible amount of work that RoboBuggy and Radio Club put into establishing and maintaining the RTK base station on campus.
Thank you to all of our Golden Goose Lifetime Members who have donated to the Buggy Endowed Fund and made Buggy Enhancement Grants possible.
Thank you, Robbie, and Lewis, for helping me put together all the pieces for this BoM.
Thank you to everyone who has already submitted their Spring 2025 Buggy Enhancement Grant applications! If you haven’t submitted yours yet, applications are due by midnight on Thursday, January 23rd.
It is time to submit your ideas for Buggy Enhancement Grants for the spring semester! We have over $12,000 available for this round of funding. This money belongs to you as a member of the buggy community, to enhance your enjoyment of the sport! If you have ideas that you think will make buggy better, we want to hear from you, please apply here!
Submissions are due by midnight on Thursday, January 23rd. The committee will complete its initial review on Friday, January 24th, and applicants will have 1 week to respond to the committee’s feedback before the final vote.
Last semester we saw $3723 allocated towards composites testing, expanding the Essential Build Book (while building DG’s first buggy!), improving shop safety, and improving the safety of existing buggies.
For more details on the program, a summary of previously approved grants, and tips from the committee on how to write a stellar grant application, please read All About Buggy Enhancement Grants.
If you would like to support this program, please consider donating to the Buggy Endowed Fund. Your gift will help perpetually fund this grant program and keep the buggy hype rolling for generations to come! A donation of at least $1000 to the endowment is recognized on our placard in the University Center and with a lifetime membership to the Buggy Alumni Association. There is no shortage of excellent project proposals coming from the community, so please consider supporting this program. Join us Now!
The start of the fall semester is right around the corner, and with that a whole new year of buggy! I hope you’re ready to hit the ground running, and brimming with ideas to make the sport faster, safer, and more fun!
Applications for Fall 2024 Buggy Enhancement Grants are now open! We have a whopping $12,000 available for this round of funding! This money belongs to you as a member of the buggy community to enhance your enjoyment of the sport. If you have ideas that you think will make buggy more enjoyable for you, your team, and the greater buggy community, we want to hear from you!
The deadline to submit applications is Sunday, September 15th.
Apply Here: https://cmubuggy.org/2024fallgrant
Keep an eye on your news feed for announcements about brainstorming and grant writing sessions. If you would like to get early feedback from a member of the committee to give your proposal the greatest possible chance of receiving funding, please feel free to reach out on the BAA Discord.
Submissions open today and are due by Sunday, September 15th. The Buggy Endowed Fund Committee will meet on 19th to give you feedback and ask questions about your proposals. Applicants will have 1 week to respond to committee feedback before the final vote on September 26th.
Last year we received 23 grant proposals from 10 different organizations, and funded 11 projects for a total of $5,853.66! Details about these projects can be found here.
Please feel free to take inspiration from these suggestions from the Buggy Endowed Fund Committee:
Proposals can even be specific to your team. Please include some details on how the community as a whole will benefit from funding your project. For example, you might share documentation of your process, publish a video, or give a talk summarizing your results. You might build something to collect better data during rolls, test out a new material, or design a wheel mold that can be shared among teams.
Apply Here: https://cmubuggy.org/2024fallgrant
For more information about Buggy Enhancement Grants, including tips from the committee on how to strengthen your grant proposal, and the actual text of previously approved grant applications, please read All About Buggy Enhancement Grants. If you have any comments or suggestions to improve the Buggy Enhancement Grant program, please fill out our feedback survey.
