There are many activities, clubs and teams at UMR, but there are several design teams that frequently take the spotlight for being the most representative of UMR's engineering emphasis.

Solar car

UMR's solar car team has met with much success in recent years. Every two years, the team constructs a sleek single-passenger car lined with solar cells that runs exclusively from solar power from the Sun. The car's aluminum frame houses lithium ion batteries, which are much lighter than conventional lead-acid batteries. The driver lays on his back, instead of in an upright position, to make the car's design more aerodynamic. The car has a joystick instead of a steering wheel to allow the driver to exit the car more quickly. Every time the car is rebuilt, design changes are made to make it lighter and more efficient. The team regularly enters solar car races in the United States and occasionally in international races. The car claimed first place in Sunrayce '99, third place in the Australian World Solar Challenge in 1999, first place in the 2000 Formula Sun Grand Prix, second place in the 2001 American Solar Challenge , and first place in the 2003 American Solar Challenge.

Formula SAE car

UMR's Formula SAE team constructs a small formula-style prototype race car every year. The premise of the competition is that the students have been contracted by a corporation to design and build a car with the intent of mass production for weekend autocrossers. The team competes in Pontiac, Michigan against more than 100 other teams from universities around the world. The vehicle's cost, sales presentation, engineering design, acceleration, braking, and racing performance all factor in to its final score. The team has placed in the top twentieth overall in nine of the past twelve competitions, including third and fourth place finishes.

Concrete canoe

UMR's Concrete Canoe Team designs and constructs a canoe out of concrete and races it on a lake in regional and national competitions. The team has participated in concrete canoe competitions since the 1970s. The entire project, including fundraising and construction, is completed by the students. The team took third place in 2004.

Human powered vehicle

The UMR Human Powered Vehicle Team constructs a man-powered land vehicle every year to compete in the American Society of Mechanical Engineers' Human Powered Vehicle Challenge. The vehicle, which looks something like a bobsled with bicycle wheels, must be light, highly efficient and powered only by its single occupant.