FS-AI - FORMULA STUDENT ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE

FS-AI challenges university teams to build and develop the driving systems to run a fully autonomous vehicle.

Teams compete in a trio of static events similar to the main FS competition, Design and Business Plan Presentation but with Cost & Manufacturing replaced by a Real-World Autonomous event where teams must demonstrate their understanding and practical solutions for the integration of autonomous vehicles as a future transport solution. In addition, teams must complete a series of autonomous missions, again mirroring the main FS competition, with Acceleration, Skid Pad, Sprint Track Drive (Endurance) events. These demonstrate teams’ technical knowledge and understanding as well as the effectiveness of their autonomous driving systems.

In keeping with the main objectives of Formula Student as an educational engineering competition, the FS-AI competition provides a fantastic opportunity for the next generation of autonomous systems engineers to gain the skills and experience that are highly desired by those in industry.

Babcock International Group is the FS-AI partner. Steve Penver, Head of Data and Analytics, said: “Babcock is a technology-led business, and we’re delighted to be the first company supporting this event which also shows our commitment to STEM.

“Despite the challenges posed by COVID-19 these young engineers have shown real grit and determination as well as real-life engineering skills as they adapt to learning in a new environment. We look forward to supporting all the teams and wish them luck.”

We organise two different FS-AI competition classes: Automated Driving System (ADS) and Dynamic Driving Task (DDT).

ADS: Teams compete with an autonomous car that they have developed and built completely themselves, such as previous competition entries from Starkstrom Augsburg and Team Bath Racing Electric. This is intended for experienced, multi-disciplined teams who are either developing existing FS cars to have driverless capabilities or vehicles they are building from scratch.

DDT: Teams can purchase a bespoke vehicle platform, the Autonomous Driving Systems – Dedicated Vehicle  (ADS-DV), which has been developed exclusively for the FS-AI competition. The vehicle is supplied ‘autonomous systems ready’ so that teams may select their own controller and sensors. This option removes the requirement to design and manufacture a vehicle, leaving teams free to focus on developing their software. There is also the option to have shared use of the prototype ADS-DV which is owned by the IMechE and has a PC and sensors already supplied.

As part of the government’s £100 million Intelligent Mobility Fund supporting the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge, the FS-AI ADS-DV is part funded by the Centre for Connected and Autonomous vehicles (CCAV), delivered in partnership with Innovate UK.
As a key part of the UK’s Modern Industrial Strategy, the Future of Mobility Grand Challenge was announced to encourage and support the extraordinary innovation in UK engineering and technology, making the UK a world leader within the transport industries.
This includes facilitating profound change in how people, goods and services move within UK towns, cities and the countryside.
Working in partnership with industry, the Future of Mobility Grand challenge will help to deliver better journeys for all.

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