With a kick-off in Lelystad, the eighth edition of the RDW's Self Driving Challenge has officially started. Ten teams will participate in the Self Driving Challenge this year. The participation of a Turkish team gives the competition an international character for the first time.
With the Self Driving Challenge, the RDW wants to offer young talent the chance to develop skills for the future of autonomous driving. To this end, the RDW offers participating teams, among other things, access to the necessary hardware, software and technical guidance.
International character
Two teams are participating for the first time this year: Team Cyberweb from Breda and Team Alaz from Turkey. Besides the Turkish team, teams from India and America were also interested in participating. This gives the competition an international character for the first time.
"It is great to see that the Self Driving Challenge is getting interest from new corners, even from abroad. This shows we are a serious student competition," says Johan in 't Holt, ICT department manager and principal of the SDC within the RDW.
RDW's Self Driving Challenge (image: Rob van der Voort)
Closed and open category
The competition has two categories. Five teams participate in the closed category, while five compete in the open category. In the closed category, students use a kart from the RDW, which they program themselves. In the open category, teams build and programme their vehicle entirely themselves.
Taking part in the closed category are:
- Hanze University of Applied Sciences Groningen
- Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
- The Hague University of Applied Sciences
- University of Twente
- Alaz (Turkey)
Participants in the open category are:
- Cyberweb
- Fontys
- University of the North
- Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences
- Firda
Course with realistic traffic obstacles
The final of the Self Driving Challenge will take place on 16 June, with the teams competing for the cup. During the final, the vehicles have to complete a course with realistic traffic obstacles. These include stopping for a pedestrian light, dodging an inflatable car and staying within the lines of the course.
Unlike previous editions, this year obstacles are not placed at a preknown location on the course. The location will only be announced 24 hours before the final, giving teams less time to prepare for it.
From now on, the teams can test their vehicles weekly at the RDW test centre in Lelystad.
Image: Rob van der Voort
