Auburn autonomous racing team to compete at Las Vegas Motor Speedway

Nineteen universities from around the world, including Auburn, will compete as nine race teams in the second installment of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC ) Friday, Jan. 7, at Las Vegas Motor Speedway.

Held in conjunction with the 2022 Consumer Electronics Show (CES), the event will be the first high-speed, head-to-head autonomous racecar competition in history.

Comprised of students in Auburn’s GPS and Vehicle Dynamics Lab (GAVLAB), Autonomous Tiger Racing (ATR) was one of nine teams that competed in the first round of the IAC last October at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway (IMS). In August, ATR made history as the first group to run its Dallara AV-21 Indy Lights car around the famed track.

"I think a lot of our success stems from the research experience on our team," said team lead Will Bryan, a doctoral student in mechanical engineering. "In the GAVLAB, we conduct very applied research. It's not just theoretical math. We're actually making things happen. We're making cars and trucks do things."

Launched to push the boundaries of autonomous technology and elevate consumer confidence in autonomous vehicles, the IAC competition series required teams to design a software stack integrating data from sensors such as LiDAR, GPS-INS, computer vision cameras and radar well enough for their customized Indy Lights car to compete near race pace while interpreting draft influence and the movements of other vehicles on the track.

“Our university teams have proven that they can advance autonomous technology by setting world records with high-speed laps and now, on the biggest technology stage at CES 2022, they will take it to the next level with a head-to-head passing competition,” said Paul Mitchell, president and CEO of Energy Systems Network, the IAC's principle organizer. “The Consumer Technology Association and CES 2022 play a central role in showcasing and advancing autonomous technology worldwide, so we can’t think of a better partner for this next step of the competition or for future implications of this technology."

Live streaming of the event will be available at www.IndyAutonomousChallenge.com beginning Friday at 2 p.m. CST.