Abu Dhabi conducts inaugural Autonomous Racing League

As per the regulations, each team has the same car, but the coding of each team sets them apart.

The Yas Marina circuit recently held the inaugural race of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL).

As the name suggests, the A2RL consists of AI-driven race cars competing for the top spot over 8 laps of the Formula 1 circuit. As per the regulations, each team has the same car, but the coding of each team sets them apart.

All cars use a 2023 Dallara Super Formula chassis, powered by a 2.0-litre 4-cylinder turbocharged engine producing 550 BHP, paired with a 6-speed gearbox. The race cars even get pushrod suspension, adjustable dampers and Brembo carbon brakes. But the 'cockpit' now comes fitted with a bunch of GPS cameras, sensors and powerful computers to help them navigate their way around the track. Teams will have to use their coding skills to allow the cars to learn on the go to find the fastest way around the track.

The inaugural race saw 8 teams from different countries take part, with the winners taking the bulk from a prize pool of $2.25 million.

The Autonomous Racing League has two major objectives. The first is to help encourage students to get into STEM careers, while the other is to help accelerate the development of autonomous driving technology.

Source: TheRace