Improved technology, “brainpower” (software) set to define current cycle of high-profile autonomous racing competition

Abu Dhabi-UAE: 07 January, 2023 – Technology Innovation Institute (TII), a leading global scientific research center and the applied research pillar of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), is all revved up for its second season as TII-EuroRacing Team in the upcoming edition of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) at CES - The Most Influential Tech Event in the World on January 7, 2023 at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The IAC is the world’s first head-to-head autonomous overtaking race.

TII-EuroRacing Team, comprising autonomous robotics scientists from TII’s Autonomous Robotics Research Center (ARRC) and Italy’s High-Performance Real Time (HiPeRT) Laboratory at University of Modena and Regio Emilia (UNIMORE), is among nine university teams from Europe, Asia, and the Americas vying for the top honors.

The 14-member TII-EuroRacing Team will compete with its DO12 racecar, a Dallara AV-21 IAC standard vehicle retrofitted with hardware and controls to enable automation, including radars and optical camera sensors. It also features an advanced prototype software that is that will be modified and improved throughout the event.

A core goal for IAC is to accelerate the commercialization of vehicles that are fully autonomous as well as deploy advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS) – thereby increasing the safety and performance of all modes of motorsports and commercial transportation.

Speaking on TII-EuroRacing’s improved turnout at CES 2023, Dr. Ray O. Johnson, CEO, TII and ASPIRE, said: “Autonomous racing is only continuing to gather momentum – given its significant potential to disrupt the future of transport and mobility. We are proud to announce our robust participation as the TII-EuroRacing Team, to try once again to set new benchmarks for autonomous vehicles and help them pre-empt and prepare for unknown challenges as they become more mainstream.

“As the region’s leading technology company focused on innovation, we remain committed to supporting the noble mission of events such as IAC in every way possible as they bring a dynamic STEM-focused student community together to think of ways to empower our future world.”

Dr. Najwa Aaraj, Chief Researcher, Autonomous Robotics Research Center and Cryptography Research Center, said: “Participating in the Indy Autonomous Challenge has helped put ARRC and TII firmly in the driver’s seat when it comes to improving the autonomous vehicles technology. In our second year here, we know more about the dynamic and complex environment of the world’s fastest racetracks through continuously testing our robotics and autonomous stack and accelerating our rate of innovation. We are now developing prototypes for some of the most advanced algorithms in autonomous vehicle systems and building our credibility as a leading enabler of such automation worldwide.”

Last year, TII EuroRacing Team calibrated its software – often, called the brain in autonomous racing – to eventually clock a staggering speed of 272 kph.