PROVE Lab

Projects

Vehicles we've built —
and ones we're building.

Each project is a real engineering program: design, fabrication, testing, and competition. Here's what's in the garage.

DAWN — Solar Vehicle
Founding projectCompleted

DAWN — Solar Vehicle

DAWN is the first vehicle developed by PROVE Lab and an early demonstration of what's possible with solar-powered transportation. Designed and built entirely by students, it operates using only energy captured from its solar array — no stored battery power. The project emphasized efficiency at every level, from its lightweight structure to its highly refined aerodynamic profile, reaching a top speed of 51 mph during testing and placing it within reach of the world record for solar-powered vehicles. As PROVE Lab's founding project, DAWN established the team's technical capabilities and set the direction for future innovation.

Power source
Solar array (no battery)
Top speed
51 mph (tested)
Focus
Aerodynamic efficiency
Status
PROVE Lab's founding build
MILA — Endurance EV
Current projectIn development

MILA — Endurance EV

MILA is PROVE Lab's flagship vehicle: a street-legal electric prototype being developed into a fully autonomous car. Built entirely in-house by a multidisciplinary student team, it combines a custom 110 kWh battery system, an extremely low-drag body with a drag coefficient near 0.12, and a complete autonomy stack — from perception and planning to embedded vehicle control. The project is a hands-on testbed for self-driving software and serves as a launching pad for students gaining industry-grade experience across the full vehicle development process.

Battery
110 kWh custom pack
Drag coefficient
~0.12
Autonomy
Full self-driving stack
Platform
Street-legal prototype

Autonomy

AUTONOMY

Continuing PROVE's mission to push boundaries, the Autonomy project will transform MILA into a fully autonomous vehicle.

Perception

The vehicle collects sensor data, and filters it for noise. The software identifies relevant objects, and creates a continuous 3d-map of car's surroundings.

Planning and Controls

Based on identified objects, the vehicle applies behavioral logic to adhere to driving rules. It then updates the vehicle's desired state, and immediate path toward the target destination.

Execution

The vehicle physically actuates its movement along its desired path, requiring full drive-by-wire capability to control the motor, braking, and turning.

2026-2027 Roadmap

MILA autonomous vehicle prototype on campus
November '26

Drive-by-wire

Drive the car with a joystick that communicates with the vehicle's software.

January '27

Autonomous line following

Perception and advanced controls enable the car to stay within a driving lane.

June '27

Autonomous Campus Navigation

The vehicle navigates between selected locations while adhering to traffic regulations.