Self Driving Challenge 2024: More challenging and complex than ever
The sixth edition of the Self Driving Challenge officially started on Monday, February 12, with no fewer than nine teams from various colleges and universities. During this kick-off, the teams got to know each other, the organization and the course for the first time. This year new challenges have been added to the challenge. The final will take place on June 14, 2024.
The future of the self-driving car should be found on a small race track in Lelystad. This year, students are racing with self-driving vehicles for the Self Driving Challenge. Thijmen Fellinger, Software Engineer at the RDW, states that it is all about finding the formula that allows self-driving cars to make the right choices. 'Ultimately it is up to the manufacturers to innovate, actually develop and market these types of technologies.' The automation process already includes many different types of technologies. According to Fellinger, students in the Self Driving Challenge deal with systems based on, for example, cameras or Lidar (Laser Imaging Detection And Ranging). 'The Self Driving Challenge is a way to gain knowledge about how such systems work. Ultimately, it is up to manufacturers to innovate, actually develop and market these types of technologies. Then we will automatically see them come to the RDW when we have to approve that type of vehicle.'
“It's all about finding the formula that allows self-driving cars to make correct choices.”
Originally, only the closed category existed, which is a category in which students from the RDW are loaned electric karts that already have hardware on them. From this year onwards, the Self Driving Challenge has a second category. This open category was introduced by the RDW this year. 'In the open category, students are allowed to bring their own vehicle and can choose to build this vehicle themselves.'
The Self Driving Challenge was born in 2018 from the great need for knowledge from large competing car companies as well as institutions such as the RDW, which exists in the self-driving car market with its many developments. The 2024 edition will take place at the RDW Test Center in Lelystad, where nine teams will carry out tasks on a 'custom track'. These tasks include starting at green traffic lights, adhering to the speed limit, stopping and driving away at traffic lights, crossing pedestrians, overtaking maneuvers and parallel parking.
Listen to the interview with colleague Thijmen Fellinger about the event at BNR. You can also watch the short video about the kick-off.
Source: BNR Webredactie
