Eindhoven students win the first autonomous car race. The electric racing car of University Racing Eindhoven (URE) has finished first in the final ranking of the Formula Student competition in Barcelona.
In the autonomous class of the competition, various electric racing cars compete against each other. They are not driven by a driver or controlled remotely. Instead, they drive autonomously. This means they drive based on the software, sensors, and other technical ingenuities built into the car.
Competition
For URE, the competition was an opportunity to measure itself against six other student teams from several countries including the United States, Portugal, and the Czech Republic. The cars were tested on various disciplines such as cornering speed and acceleration. In addition to that, the design process and the ability to establish a profitable business model were also assessed.
Eventually, the Eindhoven students finished in the top three in six of the seven assessment criteria. However, in the discipline ‘endurance’ where the car had to drive ten laps of 300 metres, the Eindhoven students did not manage to finish high in the rankings. None of the other teams managed to finish in that discipline either.
Extra proud
“We are happy and proud”, reacts URE team leader Dion Engels. “In recent years, more than fifty of us have been working on the construction of the electric and autonomous racing car and the development of this business model. That was not always easy during corona time, because a lot had to be done behind the laptop. These restrictions did not help the team spirit and motivation, which is why we can be extra proud.”
The goal for next year
Engels says he looks back on the competition in Barcelona with a good feeling. In doing so, Engels immediately set the goal for next year.
Source: studio040.nl
Translated by: Anitha Sevugan
