What happened in Vegas: Clemson Students Shine at SEMA Show
January 17th, 2025
Las Vegas is synonymous entertainment, new relationships and unforgettable experiences —an apt description of a recent trip for Clemson University’s Automotive Engineering students.
Student and faculty representatives from Deep Orange, Clemson University’s accelerated vehicle concept development program, were invited to display their latest prototype vehicle at the 2024 Special Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. The event brings together the latest innovations and custom vehicle trends from across the world, and this year featured a high-speed, off-road, semi-autonomous search and rescue vehicle know as Deep Orange 15. While the vehicle and program were acclaimed for their potential impact on the industry, the experience itself made quite an impression on the attending students.
Situated in the “Future Tech Innovation” section of the event, the Deep Orange display provided students the opportunity to showcase their work and engage with industry leaders. Deep Orange team member Dev Gupta reflected on his experience saying, “I was pretty nervous about how our work would be received at such a grand show, but the overwhelming interest and feedback from professionals in the mobility industry have inspired us to push even further.”
Fellow team member Rohit Godse echoed these sentiments, noting the value of interacting with industry professionals. “This marked my first ‘business trip,’ and it was an exceptional opportunity for me to interact with a diverse group of industry leaders. Answering technical questions about our vehicle and explaining our design choices was challenging, but incredibly rewarding. It was a great exercise in communication—something I’ll carry with me as I move forward in my career,” said Godse.
When they weren’t engaging with visitors at the Deep Orange display, the students explored the rest of the event’s expansive show floor to see the latest in design and innovation. “As a passionate engineer I have an appreciation for the value of sophisticated software and advanced technology, but I observed some vehicles where the only significant changes were to the exterior design – fancy lighting and sleek aesthetics – and those booths were just as packed,” said Deep Orange member Ajay Krishnan. “It was a real eye-opener, offering a fresh perspective on everything the end user may value.”
While in Las Vegas, the team tested the functionality of Deep Orange 15 at Nellis Dunes, an off-road vehicle recreation area offering vastly different terrains than their testing grounds in South Carolina. “Watching months of work pay off during the testing process was incredibly fulfilling,” said Godse. “Completing successful tests and then driving the vehicle to our booth with sand-covered, dirt-streaked tires was a moment I’ll never forget.”
As the trip came to a close, the team members reflected not only on their once-in-a-lifetime experience at the SEMA Show, but also on the educational journey that led them there. “Being part of a university that prioritizes hands-on, project-based learning has been invaluable. Opportunities like SEMA Show empower students to bridge the gap between academia and industry,” said Gupta. “It was such a privilege to represent Clemson and showcase our work on such a prominent platform.”
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Acknowledgment: This work was supported by Clemson University’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy Enabled Ground Systems (VIPR-GS), under Cooperative Agreement W56HZV-21-2-0001 with the US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).
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