SAE International And General Motors Launch AutoDrive Challenge™ II

SAE International And General Motors Launch AutoDrive Challenge™ II

New Competition Builds Upon Successful First AutoDrive Challenge and Expands Participation

“SAE’s AutoDrive Challenge, along with all CDS programs, have proven successful in readying young engineers across the entire mobility landscape to make an immediate impact in their professional careers by solving next generation challenges.” Chris Ciuca, VP of Programs, SAE International

SAE International announced today the launch of the SAE AutoDrive Challenge™ II through a continued partnership with General Motors (GM). The competition continues the strong partnership between GM and SAE in STEM education and will build on the groundbreaking success of the original AutoDrive Challenge. Participating university teams will develop and demonstrate an autonomous vehicle (AV) that can navigate urban driving courses as described by SAE J3016™ Standard Level 4 automation.

As part of the commitment from General Motors, selected university teams will receive a new GM vehicle and technical training and mentorship from experienced industry engineers, along with technology, components, analytical tools, knowledge and technical training from additional corporate sponsors.

The AutoDrive Challenge II competition, part of SAE’s Collegiate Design Series (CDS), expands upon the ground-breaking SAE AutoDrive Challenge, which began in 2017 and runs through the middle of 2021. Recognizing the increased interest in Automated Driving Systems (ADS), software and sensing technologies among universities and students, the next iteration of the AutoDrive Challenge will increase the number of participating students. Teams will be selected using a Request for Proposal (RFP) process which will be open to universities later in 2020. Universities selected as participants will be announced in 2021.

“General Motors has been a tremendous innovator and partner for this initiative, so as we open AutoDrive II, their support allows us to broaden the program’s scope and scale to offer students an opportunity for networking, knowledge transfer and mentorship all while working to achieve SAE J3016 Level 4 autonomy,” said Chris Ciuca, vice president of programs at SAE International. “SAE’s AutoDrive Challenge, along with all CDS programs, have proven successful in readying young engineers across the entire mobility landscape to make an immediate impact in their professional careers by solving next generation challenges.”

Throughout the four-year competition, participants are required to meet yearly benchmarks for the design and development of their ADS, while continuing their education through SAE professional development courses. To participate in AutoDrive Challenge II, participating universities must commit to relevant curriculum, vehicle testing facilities, undergraduate participation, and faculty and graduate student leadership in their proposals. Challenges will begin with simulation and laboratory and will progress toward complicated driving maneuvers and closed course competitions over the 4 years. Students gain valuable experience in ADS design, development and testing.

“Our vision is a world with zero crashes, zero emissions and zero congestion,” said Daniel Nicholson, vice president of global electrification, controls, software & electronics at General Motors. “Achieving that vision will take some of the best and brightest minds, which is why General Motors supports universities and STEM students in the Automated Driving Systems technical challenge. The advanced challenges and opportunities in this program give students some of the skills and experience to become future innovators and developers of self-driving vehicles.”
To learn more information about the AutoDrive Challenge, please visit: https://www.sae.org/attend/student-events/autodrive-challenge.
About SAE International
SAE International is a global association committed to advancing mobility knowledge and solutions for the benefit of humanity. By engaging nearly 200,000 engineers, technical experts and volunteers, we connect and educate mobility professionals to enable safe, clean, and accessible mobility solutions. We act on two priorities: encouraging a lifetime of learning for mobility engineering professionals and setting the standards for industry engineering. We strive for a better world through the work of our philanthropic SAE Foundation, including programs award-winning programs like A World in Motion® and the Collegiate Design Series™. More at http://www.sae.org.