The MIT Sailing Pavilion recently welcomed a distinctly unique watercraft: a prototype of a solar electric vessel created by James Worden ’89, the creator of the MIT Solar Electric Vehicle Team (SEVT). Worden came to the pavilion on a sweltering, sunny afternoon in late July to provide students from the SEVT, the MIT Edgerton Center, MIT Sea Grant, and the wider community an exclusive glimpse of the Anita, named in memory of his late spouse.
Worden’s intrigue with solar energy originated at age 10 when he stumbled upon a solar chip at a “hippy-like” gathering in his hometown of Arlington, Massachusetts. “My eyes just lit up,” he recalls. He constructed his first solar electric vehicle during high school, made from cardboard and wood (winning first place at the 1984 Massachusetts Science Fair), and continued this pathway at MIT, establishing SEVT in 1986. It was through SEVT that he encountered his wife and lifelong business associate, Anita Rajan Worden ’90. Together, they initiated two ventures in the solar electric and hybrid vehicle industries, and in 2022 introduced a solar electric boat company.
On the Charles River, Worden took attendees for brief tours aboard Anita, including a cohort of current SEVT members who inundated him with inquiries. The 20-foot pontoon vessel, measuring just 12 feet in width and 7 feet in height, is constructed from carbon fiber composites, single crystalline solar photovoltaic cells, and lithium iron phosphate battery units. Ultimately, Worden envisions this prototype serving purposes as mini-ferry boats and water taxis.
With warmth and humor, he drew connections between the boat’s elements and mechanics and those of the solar vehicles the students are developing. “It’s enjoyable! If you consider everything you all are working on, it’s fundamentally the same concepts,” he communicated to them, “optimizing all the various systems and ensuring they function smoothly.” He also highlighted the unique design factors pertinent to boating applications, such as fine-tuning the hull shape for efficiency and maneuverability in varying water and wind conditions, along with the vital necessity of safeguarding wiring and controls from exposure to water and moisture.
“Experiencing Anita in all its splendor was incredibly exciting,” states Nicole Lin, vice captain of SEVT. “Upon first seeing it, I could instantly relate the various components of the solar vehicle to its maritime equivalents, which was remarkable in illustrating how far I’ve progressed as an engineer with SEVT. James also utilized solar car terminology to describe the boat, drawing on his experience with solar vehicles to inform his insights on solar boats. It was astounding to witness the engineering principles we’ve learned with SEVT in practice.”
Through the years, the Wordens have been passionate advocates for SEVT and the Edgerton Center, so this visit was, in part, a gesture of gratitude towards MIT. “There are numerous connections,” he notes. He remains astonished by the memory of Harold “Doc” Edgerton, who, upon discovering his keen interest in constructing solar vehicles, allocated a lab space for him in Building 20 — as a freshman. A few years back, as Worden developed an interest in marine technology, he approached Sea Grant Education Administrator Drew Bennett for a 90-minute whiteboard lecture, “MIT fire-hose style,” on hydrodynamics. “It was phenomenal!” he exclaims.