The Human-Powered Vehicle Design Team (HPVDT) is a student
organization at the University of Toronto that is focused on the
design and construction of innovative, high-performance human-
powered vehicles. Those at AeroVelo were among the founding
members of this team, and have been deeply involved in every
project through the past 5 years. The team’s goal is to provide
students with practical, hands-on experience in engineering
design while promoting efficiency, sustainability and the use of
human power as a means of reducing society’s impact on the
environment. The HPVDT has helped grow student expertise
especially in aerodynamic analysis, structural design, and
composite fabrication. The team was formed with the goal of
taking on any human-powered vehicle engineering project,
including aircraft and submersibles. However, the current focus
is the design of high-speed, aerodynamic bicycles or
“Speedbikes”, capable of reaching speeds well in excess of 100
km/hr, while still having the utility necessary for carr