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The IAC has revised the sensors and compute within the AV24 racecar. Supply: Indy Autonomous Problem
The Indy Autonomous Problem, or IAC, made two main bulletins at CES 2024 this week. The primary was that the IAC plans to current 4 autonomous racecar occasions in 2024, and the second was an up to date know-how stack.
The primary occasion of the yr is the IAC@CES, which takes place tomorrow on the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The Robotic Report can be in attendance to cowl this occasion later this week.
Extra Indy Autonomous Problem races to come back
The IAC may also take part for the second yr in a row on the Milano Monza Open-Air Motor Present from June 16 to 18 in Milan, Italy. Final yr, the problem debuted autonomous highway racing with the IAC autonomous race vehicles for the primary time.
In contrast to different oval track-based races, the Milan Monza occasion challenges the college groups to develop their AI drivers for a highway course. It’s arguably one of the crucial well-known road-racing venues on the planet and exposes the IAC to a worldwide racing viewers, mentioned occasion organizers.
The third occasion in 2024 can be from July 11 to 14 on the Goodwood Competition of Pace within the U.Okay. Described as “motorsport’s final summer season backyard celebration,” the competition options the treacherous Goodwood hill climb.
This yr, the IAC race vehicles will try the hill climb whereas setting new autonomous pace information. Finally yr’s occasion, the course was captured digitally, and the college groups are utilizing that knowledge to coach their AI drivers.
Lastly, IAC will return this yr to the well-known Indy Motor Speedway on Sept. 6, the place it began again in October 2021. The occasion expects to set new pace information and allow extra college groups to qualify for head-to-head racing on the occasion.
Tech stack will get updates for the AV24
The opposite large information from IAC this week is the launch of a new technology of autonomous racecar, known as the AV24. The unique race platform, the AV21, has aged since its launch on the first race.
Successful college groups PoliMOVE and TUM have set a number of pace information over the previous three years, pushing the AV21 to its sensor and computing limits. The platform has additionally suffered from upkeep and troubleshooting points, particularly within the fragility of the wiring harnesses. A number of the harness issues have plagued most of the groups as they ready prior competitions.
In response, the IAC group went by the sensor, networking, and compute stack and re-engineered a wholly new platform that ought to allow the college groups to proceed to push the bounds of pace and management whereas testing and growing cutting-edge AI driver algorithms. AV24 doesn’t embrace any adjustments within the race automotive chassis, the engine, or the bodily dimensions of the car.
Right here’s a have a look at what’s new within the AV24 know-how stack.
The brand new IAC AV24 race automotive contains all new sensors and compute structure. | Credit score: IAC
Most notably, the AV24 now contains break up braking controls that may enable the AV24 to handle braking on all 4 wheels of the car individually, primarily giving the AI drivers extra management of the car than is humanly attainable.
“The IAC occasion has succeeded past our wildest goals,” mentioned Paul Mitchell, co-founder and CEO of the Indy Autonomous Problem. “We initially thought it will be a one-and-done problem, however the occasion has thrived, so it was time to return to the drafting board and deploy a brand new know-how stack leveraging the most effective know-how from our occasion companions.”