Hanzehogeschool Groningen

The team is no stranger to success. Last year, they claimed victory in the closed category, setting the bar high for this year’s competition. With that achievement under their belt, they return with even more experience and ambition.

The team consists mainly of software engineers, supported by a specialist in network and security. Together, they form a strong and versatile unit that covers everything from hardware communication to advanced software development.

What drew them to the challenge was not just artificial intelligence or machine learning on their own, but the opportunity to apply these technologies in a physical setting. For Team Hanze, the real excitement lies in seeing their code come to life on an actual vehicle.

At the core of their project is a fundamental question: how can a vehicle interpret its surroundings and act on it in real time? Translating the complexity of the real world into meaningful decisions is what drives the team forward.

Their system relies on cameras to detect and recognise objects around the vehicle. To make development more efficient, the team trained their recognition model in a simulation environment. This allows them to continuously improve their system beyond the limited time available during testing days.

Once the vehicle is running, it constantly scans its environment and uses that information to make decisions in real time.

To take things a step further, Team Hanze is focusing on sensor fusion. By combining camera input with LiDAR data, they aim to create a more reliable and complete understanding of the environment. This approach increases accuracy and helps the vehicle respond more effectively to complex situations.

The team knows that the real world will bring its own challenges. While simulations and test environments offer controlled conditions, the competition track is far less predictable. Changing lighting conditions, varying track surfaces and unexpected object placement will all test the robustness of their system.

For Team Hanze, this challenge is about more than just performance. It is a learning experience. They want to deepen their knowledge of AI and machine learning while gaining hands-on experience with hardware systems.

As they put it, there is a big difference between something that works on paper and something that performs reliably in reality.

Curious, driven and hands-on, and with a title to defend, Team Hanze is ready to put their work to the test. Whatever the outcome, they are here to learn, push boundaries and make the most of this unique experience.