A non-trivial event in the world of sports and high technology recently took place in Abu Dhabi – a race for driverless cars. The competition, in which 8 teams took part, took place over two days. To some extent, it was a scientific experiment, as well as a competition between programmers. The event is not a joke at all, as the prize fund was 2.25 million US dollars. The first Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) attracted about 10 thousand spectators. In fact, this race pushed the boundaries of autonomous technology, and at the same time made extreme sports even more spectacular and entertaining.
The world's first races of cars controlled by AI took place in Abu Dhabi. Photo source: www.businesswire.com
The most unusual car races
The event was organized by ASPIRE, a subsidiary of the Abu Dhabi Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC). The purpose of the races was not only to entertain the spectators, although they did an excellent job of that too. For example, 600 thousand viewers watched the competition online. However, the main goal was to accelerate the global development of autonomous systems and technologies.
A2RL also allowed us to test the limits of human ingenuity and the capabilities of modern artificial intelligence. Participants had several months to prepare. To ensure that all teams were on an equal footing, they were provided with the same cars – the Dallara Super Formula SF23. Therefore, only the one whose artificial intelligence was more advanced could win.
The Technological Innovation Institute (TII), a subsidiary of ASPIRE, worked on adapting cars for autonomous racing. All cars were equipped with sensors, electronic control systems, and everything necessary for autonomous operation. The teams' task was only to create software.
Autonomous racing – why it is extremely difficult
AI has achieved incredible results nowadays, as we have already talked about several times. He creates new medicines, deciphers ancient texts, makes diagnoses and reveals the secrets of paintings by great artists. However, in terms of autonomous driving, there are actually not many achievements.
Currently, there is only one commercial vehicle in the world that has Level 3 autopilot – Mercedes-Benz. Its autopilot allows the driver to take his hands off the wheel and not have to watch the road. True, it still requires that the driver be in the driver's seat and not sleep. In addition, the autopilot only works on certain routes and in good weather conditions. The driving speed in autopilot mode does not exceed 64 km/h.
Providing a sports car with autopilot is even more difficult. The AI must take into account the level of grip of the tires and their temperature in order to control the car at the limit of grip. In addition, he must predict the movements of his opponents and make successful overtakes. That is, the AI must do everything that the driver does intuitively.
There were four cars on the track at the same time, which also complicated the task. Nevertheless, the participating teams, or rather the neural networks they developed, coped with it successfully. The races turned out to be exciting and exciting.
The German team's car rushes to the finish line. Photo source: www.businesswire.com
Artificial intelligence versus humans
On the last lap, the car of the Technical University of Munich overtook the car of the Italian team UNIMORE, taking first place. Thus, German developers became the first winner of A2RL, since their neural network turned out to be the most advanced.
But an even more exciting spectacle on the race track was the game “AI vs. the Human Race.” The Technological Innovation Institute (TII) pitted its autonomous car against professional Formula 1 driver Daniil Kvyat. The race lasted for 45 minutes. As reported by AETOSWire, the racer managed to beat the artificial intelligence by 10.38 seconds. However, the competition was incredibly exciting, and showed how an autonomous racing car behaves similarly to a car driven by a professional racer.
The race track where the competition was held. Photo source: www.businesswire.com
In general, the past event suggests that humanity is on the threshold of a new era when AI enters all spheres of life. Let's make a bold assumption that in the near future it will not be necessary to know how to drive a car in order to drive it yourself. The cars will become completely autonomous, capable of taking a person to any point with just a voice command.
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As for the forecast for the development of AI over the next year, you can find it here. As a matter of fact, there is no doubt that it is coming true today.