Moderation Team
The Indy Autonomous Challenge AV-24 hopes to set a record at the famous Goodwood Hillclimb track (Image: Thomas O’Dell & Jim Robertson)
The tyre manufacturer Bridgestone has partnered with the Indy Autonomous Challenge to take on the famous hillclimb track at the Goodwood Festival of Speed.
The two organisations have created an entirely driverless racecar called the AV-24, which has already set a number of records for an autonomous vehicle.
Paul Mitchell, Chairman and President of the Indy Autonomous Challenge, noted that the event at the Goodwood Hillclimb track will provide a tougher challenge compared to conventional circuits.
He explained: “We are eager to undertake the unique challenges presented by the Goodwood Hillclimb.
“Unlike the familiar ovals and F1 road courses, Goodwood’s Hillclimb will challenge the precision of sensor perception, GPS localization, vehicle dynamics, and path planning in new ways, providing a historical backdrop to showcase the future of high-speed autonomous mobility and the innovative university teams behind it.”
The AV-24 has already broken the world record for the autonomous land speed record (Image: Thomas O’Dell & Jim Robertson)
First announced in January 2024, the Indy Autonomous Challenge AV-24 features the world’s first 360-degree long-range LiDAR system to accurately measure the distance of surrounding obstacles.
Since then, the AV-24 has undergone more than 9,000 miles of testing in locations such as the Las Vegas Speedway and the Monza F1 circuit.
Already, the company has broken the world record for the fastest autonomous land-speed record at 192.2mph and the fastest head-to-head overtake, which took place at 177mph.
All kinds of new cars take to the hillclimb circuit each year to record the fastest possible time (Image: Getty)
Sara Correa, Chief Marketing Officer for Bridgestone in the Americas, Europe, Middle East and Africa, explained that taking part in the event can help the company develop tyres for real-world motoring.
She added: “What really matters is working together to collaboratively develop and advance the future of mobility. Bridgestone is proud to partner with the IAC and its young engineers to test and improve autonomous technologies through opportunities like the Goodwood Hillclimb.
“Motorsports are the ultimate challenge, and the learnings we gather here can be applied to the sustainable solutions we develop for society and our customers.”
Whilst the Indy Autonomous Challenge AV-24 is certainly a unique vehicle, it is not the first time that a driverless car has raced up the 1.16-mile Goodwood Hillclimb track.
In both 2018 and 2019, Roborace, a now-folded autonomous driving competition, travelled up the course, with their fastest time recorded at 66.96 seconds.
Indy Autonomous Challenge and Bridgestone are confident that their AV-24 will be able to beat it, becoming the fastest driverless hillclimb vehicle, before the Goodwood Festival of Speed closes on Sunday, July 14, 2024.
Source: www.express.co.uk
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