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As a subscriber you can listen to articles at work, in the car, or while you work out. Subscribe NowThe Indy Autonomous Challenge, which debuted in October 2021 at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway, is set to return to that venue this fall.
Organizers announced Thursday that the competition between self-driving race cars, featuring 10 university teams from around the world, will make a repeat appearance at IMS on Sept. 6.
In addition to the race itself, the day-long event will also include other programs that offer attendees a chance to engage with a range of technologies, including drones, robots, augmented and virtual reality and generative artificial intelligence.
Many of the participating race teams will be repeat competitors, including Purdue University’s team, Black & Gold Autonomous Racing. The only other Indiana-based team, and a newcomer to the competition, is Indiana University’s Luddy Autonomous Racing. The other teams include universities from Alabama, California, Hawaii, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Canada, Germany, Italy and South Korea. (Some of the teams include multiple universities.)
Each of the teams in the Indy Autonomous Challenge receives a Dallara race car outfitted with the hardware and controls needed to run autonomously. The teams then write their own software to control their cars.
Since its debut at IMS in 2021, the organizers of Indy Autonomous Challenge have staged races and taken part in exhibitions in multiple locations, including the Las Vegas Motor Speedway as part of that city’s CES trade show; the Monza F1 Circuit in Italy; and the Goodwood Festival of Speed in England.
The autonomous vehicles have set multiple speed records, including the autonomous land speed record of 192.2 mph and the fastest on-track head-to-head overtake, at 177 mph.
“The Indianapolis Motor Speedway was originally built as a test bed for early automobiles,” IMS President Doug Boles said in a prepared statement. “Having teams from the most elite research universities using the track to prove out the future of autonomous vehicles connects the track’s historic roots to the future of AI and robotics.”
The Sept. 6 event is also scheduled to include an invitation-only summit focused on future mobility topics such as autonomy, next-generation drones, smart infrastructure, and sustainable energy solutions. It also will feature interactive technology exhibits for attendees and educational science, technology, engineering, and math activities for students.
Admission is $20 for adults and free for ages 15 and under with a paying adult. Tickets are available for purchase online via the IMS website. The event will also be available via live streaming online.
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