Inspired by innovation
It’s been almost three years since Ranjith Pandithage was skimming through the Sunday papers when his attention was caught by an article about a group of students from the University of Moratuwa and their car building dreams. The chairman and managing director of DIMO is a man inspired by innovation, creativity and driven by an ethical state of being. So when DIMO approached the group of young undergraduates back in 2016, the budding mechanical engineers were slowly bringing to life their first car for the Formula Student Competition 2016, organized by the IMechE (Institution of Mechanical Engineers) in the United Kingdom. Two weeks ago, the team together with DIMO unveiled their newest model the DI-MORA P2 which will be the latest addition to their fast forming legacy of student motorsports in Sri Lanka.
Team Shark with their latest creation the ‘Fire Demon’. Pix by Indika Handuwala
The team has come a long way since DI-MORA P1 which drove in into their first Formula Student and returned home with three awards including “Best Newcomer in Class 1”, “Best Individual Driver” and “Dedication to Formula Student”. This year’s model is a completely new vehicle explains team leader Lakshitha De Silva.
Named “Fire Demon” the car and the team has come a long way since selling tickets at university to collect funds to build the chassis to being part of a Rs. 20 million project (the budget to build the car as well as cost of taking part in the competition) which the team and Mr. Pandithage proudly showcased at the launch.
This year’s sleek black model has been crafted incorporating cutting edge design including 3D printing- which was a first for the team as well. “Driving the vehicle has to feel like it’s a part of your own body” said Lakshitha. Built using high performance air craft grade materials, the car weighs 195Kg, a significant change from their 300Kg model back in 2016. They’ve also tweaked the design of the car with components designed for performance rather than using off the shelf parts. The electric components are designed in house and the model includes a 3 cylinder 650cc Yamaha engine coupled with a custom engineered paddle shift transmission which can boost the car to 100mph in under 3.5 seconds.
Dr. Ranjan Perera
Ranjith Pandithage
Chamith Udagedara
Lakshitha De Silva
In the driver’s seat is Chamith Udagedara who along with Lakshitha remembers crowding into a room at the university back in 2016 to listen to Rajive Wisidagama talk to them about a car they were building for the Student Formula. Both Chamith and Lakshitha, now in their final year as undergrads started work on the car back in June 2017 together with the rest of their team. Over the last two years they’ve been a part of and watched the other two cars morph into racing machines but now, as members of the integral 20 member team; they are all an equal mix of calm confidence and excitement as the months of hard labour and sleepless nights literally zoomed into the DIMO showroom.
The team has also received training in the design elements by DIMO. A face familiar to Team SHARK was also present at the launch. From being a member of the first Team SHARK to assistant engineer- DIMO, Rajive Wisidagama is nothing short of proud of the Team’s journey “from zero to what we are today”.
The energy at the DIMO showroom only echoes Rajive’s pride and the team’s determination. It’s why the project is so important to Mr. Pandithage. “We have benchmarked Moratuwa University as a place where our best recruits come from. We are oozing with talent in this country,” he adds, their responsibility being to guide and nurture Sri Lanka’s young innovators.
With less than a month to go for Formula Student, the Fire Demon is revved up and ready.
The fire demon