A2RL sees an international collaboration

A significant milestone in motorsports history was achieved at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL).

The event, held at the venue of the Formula One Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, the Yas Marina Circuit, saw eight teams from around the world competing in self-driving Dallara Super Formula SF23 race cars. These race cars are able to reach speeds of up to 300km/h, pushing the boundaries of AI and autonomous vehicle technology.

The cars which took part in this event were able to reach speeds of up to 300km/h

This event highlighted the power of international collaboration as Nanyang Technological University, the sole representative from South East Asia, joined forces with Kintsugi, a technology firm from the UAE, creating Team Kintez.

Team Kintiz is a strategic collaboration between NTU and Kintsugi's subsidiary, Autocraft. It showcases the potential of combining academic excellence with industry expertise. Team Kinetiz consists of over 28 scientists and engineers, tackling the challenge with a two-pronged approach. 

The first aspect of this approach involves Modular Planning and Control which is focused on breaking down the race into manageable segments to allow the AI to optimise decision making at each stage. The second aspect is AI-Enabled End-to-End Autonomous Driving which utilises deep reinforcement learning. This involves the AI learning from simulated races to refine its strategies and techniques.

Ultimately, Technical University of Munich walked away as winners when they overtook the Italian team, UNIMORE, when they slowed down and came to a stop on the track.

Technical University of Munich won when they overtook the Italian team

A2RL is a pioneer in the integration of mixed and virtual reality elements in autonomous racing. Each of the eight finalist teams were given a unique avatar and incorporated virtual reality technology ahead of Formula One implementation, enhancing fans' experience both online and offline. On top of watching the race, those at the event got the opportunity to enjoy STEM workshops, virtual reality challenges, Gran Turismo simulators, doodle cars, and a Raceum AI Museum, among other activities. The event concluded with a display of fireworks and drones.