Ivy League aerospace engineering team increases efficiency with Overleaf
Undergraduates at New York’s Cornell University collaborated easily and efficiently on a global competition entry after switching to Overleaf’s collaborative LaTeX editor.
Overleaf truly embraces a collaborative culture, and we’re proof of that. We’ll still be using Overleaf for next year’s journal paper; we’ve loved using Overleaf.
—Sheel Yerneni, Design and Operations Team, CUAir
At a glance
As part of their entry into a prominent research competition, students at Cornell University Unmanned Air Systems (CUAir) needed to submit a 15-page technical document detailing the design and manufacture of an autonomous unmanned aircraft. CUAir had previously used Microsoft Word to create the document but found the program didn’t lend itself well to collaborative writing. Team members often had to email different versions of the document to each other for input. Such challenges made the process time-consuming and frustrating.
The solutionBy using Overleaf, all team members were able to view and edit the paper simultaneously, working either in LaTeX Code Editor or Visual Editor according to individual preference. The team no longer had to battle version confusion or waste time waiting for edits via email. Instead, they were all able to work simultaneously on the same document, which was automatically compiled on the Overleaf servers. Overleaf enabled CUAir to simplify a complicated process and create an impressive document swiftly and effectively.
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A complicated writing process
Cornell University Unmanned Air Systems (CUAir) is a team of undergraduates who create and operate custom search-and-rescue drones. Every year the team takes part in the global Student Unmanned Air Systems (SUAS) competition in which more than 50 teams compete to design, build, and fly an autonomous unmanned aircraft.
The competition requires teams to submit a 15-page technical document detailing the design and manufacture of their aircraft. CUAir had previously used Microsoft Word to write this paper but found the program unhelpful for collaborative writing. Team members often had to email different versions of the document to each other for input and the process would quickly become messy and confusing.
Overleaf ‘O’ logo on wing of CUAir unmanned aircraft
The CUAir team comprises 60 students from the fields of Computer Science, Electrical Engineering, Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, Mathematics, and Physics. For the competition, the team was split into seven sub-teams, each working on a different element of the aircraft, a fully composite design that they named Orion. Each sub-team needed to contribute to the technical document, making it even more urgent to find a writing platform that could support dozens of people working on a paper simultaneously.
Some members of the CUAir team had previously used Overleaf to create technical documentation and recommended trialing it for the competition.
Teamwork made easier
Using Overleaf meant that team members could view, edit, and comment on the same document at the same time. The option to work either in LaTeX Code Editor or Visual Editor allowed people to contribute easily, whether or not they were familiar with LaTeX.
The track changes functionality enabled members to view any edits being made across the document and accept or reject them as necessary. Individuals were also able to leave comments in the document without delaying overall progress.
“Overleaf truly embraces a collaborative culture, and we’re proof of that,” said Sheel Yerneni, a member of the Design and Operations Team. “We’ll still be using Overleaf for next year’s journal paper; we’ve loved using Overleaf.”
A successful competition
By using Overleaf, the team streamlined a process that had previously been cumbersome, allowing them to create a well-designed 15-page technical paper quickly and easily. Even better, they ranked in the top ten at the competition and were awarded Best Flight Readiness for their paper.
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