History

In the first edition, two teams from the Hanze University of Applied Sciences (Red and Blue) competed against each other on the RDW proving ground in Lelystad. Both teams used the same kart and switched software in the kart before their race. Team Blue was the winning team, after having succeeded in driving the kart independently over about a quarter of the test track. Winner of the race: team Blue.

The second edition of the challenge took place in the year the world got caught in the grip of COVID-19. Organising a physical race was not an option in that year. So we organised a virtual race. Just like in 2019, two teams from Hanze University of Applied Sciences participated. In the virtual environment of 'Assetto Corsa', the students competed with each other and translated their knowledge about autonomous driving into the technology of virtual karts. It was possible to follow the race via a live stream. Winner of the race: team Blue.

During the third edition of the challenge, two universities competed for the challenge cup: the Hanze University of Applied Sciences of Groningen and the Windesheim University of Applied Sciences of Zwolle. Also in 2021, the race was held virtually. A test track was developed in the CARLA simulation tool, where both universities raced their kart, fast and flawlessly, on the virtual track. After a close contest, Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen won this exciting race by a fraction of a second. The race was broadcast live from a studio. 

The self-driving kart of the Zwolle student team won gold for the first time on Friday 10 June in the Self Driving Challenge at the TT Junior Track in Assen. The software team from Groningen came second and the automotive engineering team from Rotterdam took third price. Various circuit experiences related to smart mobility were held. 

With twice as many teams as last year, universities looking to give each other a hard time, and karts equipped with even more sensors, the Self Driving Challenge of 2023 promised to be a real spectacle. The race was won by students from the University of Groningen. Their self-driving kart even managed to complete the TT Junior Track in Assen completely autonomously twice, a new record.

June 14 marked the thrilling finale of the 2024 Self Driving Challenge. This year, seven colleges and universities went head-to-head in two exciting categories. Fontys emerged as the winner in the open category, while Hanze proudly took home the trophy in the closed category.

The competition took place at the RDW Test Center in Lelystad, where teams gathered to showcase their skills. The Hague University of Applied Sciences kicked off the challenge, with each team tasked to complete six different challenges in the shortest possible time. Teams had just fifteen minutes to deliver their best performance.