Latest news with #IndyAutonomousChallenge
Forbes
3 days ago
- Automotive
- Forbes
Indy 500 & Robotic Cars Race On Challenging Laguna Seca Raceway
IAC (Indy Autonomous Challenge) robotic race cars performed at the historic WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca in Monterey, CA on July 24, 2025. Eight teams participated in individual time trials across a challenging track (~2.25 miles/lap) with 11 sharp turns (including the famous corkscrew, see Figure 1 below), and steep elevation changes (180 feet). This is a first for robotic racing in the history of the WeatherTech Raceway. It is also the first time that IAC has performed during a week of Indy 500 racing events, culminating on 27 July 2025 with the Java House Grand Prix race. IAC has been hosting robotic car races since 2021 at tracks like the Indiana Motor Speedway (home of the Indy 500) and the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. The event in Las Vegas, held in concert with the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in January 2025, featured a 4-car race, something not attempted before. At the recent event in Monterey (the first time an IAC event was held during the same time period and track as the Indy 500 race), the competition featured single race cars at a time. Given the difficulty of the track and first-time participation by the different teams, multi-car racing was considered to be too risky. The course is particularly challenging for robotic cars given the perception and localization challenges due to the sharp turns and elevation changes. Stable vehicle control at high speeds is also difficult because of these factors. IAC event competitors include university teams (typically with Ph.D. level students and faculty advisors) from the USA, Germany, Italy and Korea. Participating teams for this event included: IAC races are designed to engage top robotics, artificial intelligence (AI) and vehicle dynamics/control talent across universities. The goal is to nurture practical experience in physical AI, and use the intellectual property to understand autonomy in high speed, commercial applications like autonomous cars and drones. The hardware platforms are identical (car, engines, tires, sensors, compute). Teams compete based on the quality of the AI and robotic control at high speeds, and low latency perception and decision making, PolyMOVE-MSU won the event with a winning lap time of ~90 seconds over the 2.25-mile course (average speed of ~90 mph). The peak speed reached was 148 mph. This is the first ever experience for an autonomous racing competition on a road-course circuit in the USA (Figure 2). The Purdue team was a strong competitor and came in second, with KAIST in third place. A couple of cars (CAST-Caltech and Tiger Racing) were unable to negotiate the difficult corkscrew turn and had to be rescued by tow trucks (human driven! We are yet to get to autonomous tow trucks !). According to Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge and its parent company Aidoptation: 'Our university research teams stepped up to this challenge, advancing the field of AI and autonomy by pushing vehicle dynamics to the absolute edge and laying down lap times that only the best human drivers can achieve". Professor Sergio Savaresi (Polytecnico Di Milano) and Rodrigo Senofieni (former Ph.D. student of Professor Savaresi, and currently at Aidoptation) are the technical leads for the PoliMOVE-MSU team. Per Professor Savaresi, the key enablers for their winning performance were: Professor Savaresi commented: 'Our team spent a lot of time in simulation to perfect the AI driver's decision-making capabilities. I am incredibly proud of this team". Purdue entered the IAC in 2021, but decided to reorganize 18 months ago to grow capabilities and focus. IAC provided guidance and sharing of best practices, and Purdue's Dean of Engineering, Arvind Raman internally championed the initiative. Dan Williams, an ex-automotive executive with extensive experience in vehicle autonomy joined as Professor of Practice two years ago, and allocates ~50 % of his time in mentoring the team of graduate students from diverse disciplines like vehicle dynamics and computer science. As a result, Purdue was just a second behind the seasoned winner PolyMOVE-MSU, a remarkable achievement on this complex racecourse. Per Professor Williams, the factors that contributed to this are: It turns out that the complexity of the Laguna Seca roadway was a perfect fit for what Purdue had been training on under Professor William's guidance for the past 12 months. The Grand Prix event was held 3 days after the IAC robotic car race (24th July), on the same track (Figure 3). This is a Indy 500 racing circuit event consisting of 95 laps (~2.25 miles each) and 27 human-driven race cars, and is part of the NTT INDYCAR Series championship. Experiencing the throb, sounds, smells and sight of engine power equivalent to ~20,000 horses at the start of the race is an out-of-world experience! The winner was Alex Palou, a strong favorite, driving the DHL Chip Ganassi Racing Honda race car (Figure 4). The previous two days included trial competitions. Mr. Palou dominated here as well, and started in the leading position at the Grand Prix event. This is his third win in the past 4 years at this track. Including three pit stops, he took ~2 hours and 5 minutes to cover the 95 laps (~214 miles) at an average speed of 102 mph and reached a maximum average lap speed of ~114 mph in the 10th lap. For reference, Indy racecars can reach maximum speeds of ~240 mph on level, oval tracks like the Indiana Motor Speedway (IMS) in Indianapolis. Given the complexity of the Laguna Seca track, this is considerably lower (~50%). Second and third place went to Arrow McLaren's Christian Lundgaard and Colton Herta of Andretti Global (Figure 5). Lundgaard edged out Herta in an exciting finish in the track's final corner. There were also a few collisions and crashes, and tense moments as officials scrambled to throw flags and clear accidents. Following the Grand Prix event trials a day earlier, and seconds after Alex Palou exited the track, the PoliMOVE-MSU AI driver performed high speed autonomous laps for 10 minutes, exposing thousands of racing fans to the promise of robotic car racing. As mentioned earlier, the PolyMOVE-MSU team won the IAC robotic car event with an average lap time of 90 mph. This is about 80% of that achieved by Mr. Palou. The IAC race was substantially shorter (8 laps), raced a single car at a time., and had a few instances of hardware failures and crashes. Since only a single car performs at any given time, there are no risks of human fatality, multi-car collisions or extensive property damage. IAC racecars have achieved maximum speeds of ~150 mph on the IMS, about 60% that achieved by the Indy 500 cars. Part of the difference can be attributed to the more powerful engine in the latter (700 hp and 6 cylinder engine in the Indy 500 car vs 500 hp, 4 cylinder engine in the IAC car). For Mel Harder, president & general manager, WeatherTech Raceway 'Hosting the IAC at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca as part of the Java House Grand Prix of Monterey was a thrill. Not only did we introduce our fans to the world's fastest autonomous race cars, but IAC also attracted hundreds of companies, researchers, and government leaders in AI and autonomy from Silicon Valley and around the world to our venue, and promoted engagement in motorsports.' Advances in sensing, perception and computing has enabled high-speed F-22 fighter jet pilots achieve substantially higher levels of speed (> Mach 2) and endurance. Similarly, progress in IAC technology (like sensors, perception, compute, vehicle dynamics and active safety) can enable human-driven race cars to achieve higher performance levels, balancing motorsport excitement, audience engagement and human safety. Learning from human race car drivers about multi-agent path planning (local planning) is absolutely critical for physical AI applications like AVs at very high speeds on highways. The ability to use visual, acoustic and localization cues that human drivers employ to operate in multi-agent environments is something that physical AI needs to emulate, on public roadways and racetracks. Human-driven race car performance has plateaued over the last 50 years, because of passive safety protocol constraints and saturation of human driver capability at the top levels of performance. Of course, records will continue to be broken due to factors like weather and performance peaks, as well as changes in car design and race rules. But these improvements are likely to be limited and random. For AI driven race cars, it is a different story. The technology is currently in its infancy, with significant opportunities for improvement as sensor hardware, software, compute stacks and digital twin simulation capabilities accelerate in performance. IAC car performance has improved orders of magnitude in the past 3 years of its existence. The Purdue team demonstrates how experience, physics and physical AI can improve performance dramatically in the space of 12 months. The question is whether Physical AI will improve to the point where robotic and human driven race cars are able to perform together in multi-car track or road racing? To make this a reality, addressing the multi-agent path planning problem is critical. Human drivers are exceptional at this, robotic cars not so much. The success of road traffic applications in which Waymo autonomous cars and human-driven cars perform together in uncontrolled environments depends on humans and computers understanding each other's cues, tactics and behavior (Figure 6). Mixed human and robotic racing will need similar understanding, but at extremely high speeds and very low decision-making latency. Human race car drivers can be instrumental in teaching AI drivers to solve this problem, not by massive data gathering and training, but maybe with other physical AI approaches like neuromorphic learning. Paul Mitchell, CEO of IAC 'hopes that such performance parity and understanding will be achieved in the next 2 decades as IAC and motorsports nurture and learn from each other'.
Business Wire
15-05-2025
- Automotive
- Business Wire
Indy Autonomous Challenge to Join Grand Prix of Monterey Weekend at WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca
MONTEREY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) will help jumpstart the Grand Prix of Monterey with an autonomous race held on the famed WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca on Thursday, July 24, 2025. The race event will include a time trial competition of the world's fastest autonomous racecars piloted by AI driver software developed by university teams from North America, Europe, and Asia. 'Running an autonomous race as part of the Grand Prix of Monterey, on the same track and the same weekend as an NTT INDYCAR SERIES event, is a powerful testament to how far the IAC and our university teams have advanced the field of AI and autonomy,' said Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge and its parent company Aidoptation BV. 'Bringing this race and AI summit to the doorstep of Silicon Valley creates a high-impact moment to showcase the world's fastest racecars to industry leaders in AI and robotics.' This will be the second time IAC has raced on a road course; the first time was at the Monza F1 Circuit in 2023. The AI drivers will be pushed to new limits navigating one of the most technical circuits in the U.S., including the infamous Laguna Seca Corkscrew drop. 'Laguna Seca has a long history of supporting technology and innovation, and we are thrilled to welcome the world's fastest autonomous racecars to the Grand Prix of Monterey,' said Mel Harder, president & general manager, WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca. 'We are excited to host IAC and its global network of university and industry partners to explore piloting their SMART Track technologies and how they can enhance safety and fan engagement.' In addition to the autonomous race event, IAC will host an AI & Automation Summit on the grounds of WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca during the morning of July 24. This invitation-only summit will convene leading experts, innovators, and policymakers to discuss the future of AI and robotics, and their impact on the physical world, including autonomous mobility. The summit will include leading researchers from top engineering universities involved in IAC, global industry trailblazers drawing heavily from Silicon Valley, and government leaders from the US (state and federal), EU countries, Asia, and the Middle East. Eight IAC university teams will participate in the IAC race during the Grand Prix of Monterey weekend, including: AI Racing Tech - University of California, Berkeley (California), with University of Hawai'i (Hawai'i), University of California, San Diego (California), Carnegie Mellon University (Pennsylvania) Autonomous Tiger Racing - Auburn University (Alabama) CAST Racer - California Institute of Technology (California) Cavalier Autonomous Racing - University of Virginia (Virginia) IU Luddy - Indiana University (Indiana) KAIST - Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (South Korea) PoliMOVE-MSU - Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Michigan State University (Michigan), University of Alabama (Alabama) Purdue AI Racing - Purdue University (Indiana) The two IAC university teams not joining at Laguna Seca will instead run an exhibition race at the Monza F1 circuit during the Milan Monza Motor Show (MIMO) from June 27-29, 2025, including: TUM Autonomous Motorsport - Technische Universität München (Germany) UNIMORE Racing - University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy) Companies, governments, universities, and non-profits interested in participating in the Indy Autonomous Challenge event at Laguna Seca can contact info@ Indy Autonomous Challenge Media Contact: Allison Fried - IAC@ About Indy Autonomous Challenge Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) is dedicated to advancing autonomous technologies through high-speed racing. IAC engineers and constructs the IAC AV-24 racecar and organizes competitions among 10 university-affiliated teams from around the world, challenging them to program AI drivers to pilot the fully autonomous racecars. IAC aims to create a platform for the development and real-world validation of physical AI systems, driving innovation in the safety and performance of autonomous vehicles. Founded in 2019, IAC has been based in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA. In February 2025, IAC established a commercial spin-out company, Aidoptation BV, headquartered at Droneport in Sint-Truiden, Belgium. Aidoptation seeks to transition the learnings and technology of IAC's autonomous racing program to advance safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways. Follow IAC on social media for updates and highlights: X: @IndyAChallenge LinkedIn: IndyAutonomousChallenge Instagram: @IndyAChallenge Facebook: @IndyAChallenge YouTube: @IndyAutonomousChallenge About WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca WeatherTech Raceway Laguna Seca is a world-renowned motorsport facility located in Monterey, California operated and managed by Friends of Laguna Seca, a 501c(3) non-profit. Nestled among scenic hills, it has a rich history of hosting premier racing events, making it a favorite destination for motorsport enthusiasts from around the world. The raceway features challenging turns and elevation changes including the world-famous Corkscrew, providing a thrilling experience for both drivers and fans. Friends of Laguna Seca is committed to delivering top-tier racing and entertainment experiences year after year. Find out how you can get involved at
Yahoo
06-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maserati MC20 Sets Autonomous Speed Record at 198 MPH
Read the full story on Modern Car Collector A modified Maserati MC20 has become the world's fastest autonomous car, reaching a top speed of 197.7 mph on the Kennedy Space Center's 2.8-mile runway. The record-breaking feat was achieved by the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) in collaboration with Politecnico di Milano. This accomplishment surpasses the previous autonomous speed record of 192.8 mph, set by an AV-21 race car. The MC20 was piloted by artificial intelligence software developed by PoliMOVE-MSU, part of the university's AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous) initiative. 'These world speed records are much more than just a showcase of future technology,' said Paul Mitchell, CEO of the Indy Autonomous Challenge. 'We are pushing AI-driver software and robotics hardware to the absolute edge. Doing so with a street car is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways.' The MC20's success highlights the potential for AI-driven high-performance vehicles. Unlike previous records set by race cars, the Maserati is a road-going supercar, demonstrating that autonomous technology can be adapted for consumer vehicles. Following the record-setting run, a Maserati MC20 Cielo, the convertible version of the supercar, participated in the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida. The same model was also featured in the 2023 1000 Miglia race in Italy, where it covered 60 kilometers in autonomous mode. Maserati's foray into autonomous technology aligns with the broader push toward AI-driven mobility. While the Bugatti Chiron Super Sport holds the human-driven top speed record of 304.7 mph, and the Koenigsegg Jesko Absolut aims for 330 mph, the MC20's autonomous achievement signals a new frontier in self-driving capabilities. As AI continues to evolve, experts anticipate further breakthroughs in speed and safety, bridging the gap between human and machine-driven performance. Follow us on Facebook and Twitter
Yahoo
05-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maserati's AI-driven supercar shatters speed records
On top of making some sexy cars, Maserati is now dabbling in world records, as well. Their MC20 supercar just became the world's fastest autonomous vehicle, reaching a top speed of 197.7 mph without a human at the helm. The previous record of 192.8 mph was set by the Indy Autonomous Challenge and PoliMOVE, a team from the performance division of Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous of Politecnico di Milano, at the same location in April 2022 with an IAC AV-21 racecar. That same PoliMOVE team developed the AI driver software that piloted Maserati's record-breaking supercar. For reference, the Maserati MC20 sports a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6 that makes 621 horsepower and has a top speed of 202 run was done in collaboration with the Indy Autonomous Challenge, the Italian university Politecnico di Milano, as well as the newly established 1000 Miglia Experience Florida. The four partners took the MC20 to the fabled Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, a 2.8-mile-long runway that is an absolute godsend for any top speed runs. 'These world speed records are much more than just a showcase of future technology; we are pushing AI-driver software and robotics hardware to the absolute edge. Doing so with a streetcar is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways', said Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge and Aidoptation BV. After the autonomous high-speed run, a Maserati MC20 Cielo went on to participate in the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida. This same MC20 Cielo was part of the Italian 1000 Miglia in 2023 where it drove approximately 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) in autonomous may seem strange to test how fast a robot can drive a car, but as it turns out, there is a lot of thought behind the process. The goal of high-speed tests is to evaluate the behavior of robo-drivers in extreme conditions. These AI systems have been tested in production vehicles at legal road speeds in the Indy Autonomous Challenge races since 2021," said Prof. Sergio Matteo Savaresi, the Scientific Director of the project and Director of the Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering at the Politecnico di Milano. "The AIDA team used this test to push the boundaries of autonomous driving, improving safety and reliability. Conducted in controlled environments without a human driver, the test assesses the AI's stability, robustness, and reaction time, ultimately enhancing safety for low-speed urban mobility situations.'The frequent developments in self-driving technology are nothing short of astonishing. Perhaps, at this rate, full self-driving will actually become what its name claims to be. That said, we really hope the autonomous driving trend doesn't fully extend to supercars. While we understand that using them as test beds to prove what your technology is capable of makes sense, part of the reason for owning a supercar is the joy of driving it. We imagine Maserati knows all about that, though. View the 17 images of this gallery on the original article Love reading Autoblog? Sign up for our weekly newsletter to get exclusive articles, insider insights, and the latest updates delivered right to your inbox. Click here to sign up now!
Yahoo
04-03-2025
- Automotive
- Yahoo
Maserati Sets Self-Driving Car World Speed Record in AI-Driven MC20
Maserati's MC20 supercar racked up a fair bit of acclaim when it launched back in 2021, but now, it's entered the record books for an unexpected reason: the MC20 has become the world's fastest autonomous vehicle. Piloted solely by artificial intelligence driver software, the car hit a top speed of 197.7 mph — 4.9 mph faster than any self-driving car has ever gone before. The record-breaking feat was done at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility, a.k.a. the LLF, located at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. At 2.8 miles in length, the LLF has one of the longest runways in the world, which makes it the perfect place to test top speed runs. (Just ask John Hennessey.) Hence why the Indy Autonomous Challenge, or IAC, chose the LLF for the site of this top speed challenge, which was a collaboration with Italian university Politecnico di Milano, Maserati and the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida. 'These world speed records are much more than just a showcase of future technology; we are pushing AI-driver software and robotics hardware to the absolute edge," Paul Mitchell, CEO of IAC, said in a statement. "Doing so with a streetcar is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways." The Maserati MC20 Coupe is powered by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 that makes 621 horsepower. According to the carmaker, the top speed of the car with a human driver on board is 202 mph. The fact that an AI-powered robo-driver got so close to the top speed of the MC20 Coupe is a rather staggering achievement. A Maserati MC20 Cielo convertible was also on hand, joining in the convoy of cars taking part in the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida rally. This particular example was otablen because it's the same car drove in the 2023 edition of the historical 1000 Miglia race in Italy, where it traveled approximately 60 kilometers (about 37 miles) in autonomous mode. Autonomous driving on a flat, straight, empty runway is one thing; navigating public roads is something else entirely. Either way, that technology seems to be getting closer to production every single day. That said, the thrill of a Maserati comes from actually driving it, right? You Might Also Like You Need a Torque Wrench in Your Toolbox Tested: Best Car Interior Cleaners The Man Who Signs Every Car
