In the course of spring 2017, the team will develop a system for an autonomous Urban Concept car and the ambition is to have this system tested at Shell Eco-marathon 2017. With these initiatives, we expect that DTU Roadrunners will be one of the first teams participating in the official category for autonomous vehicles, a category to be introduced at Shell Eco-marathon 2018.
Laser sensors see the road
One of the big challenges in relation to an autonomous car is for the car to know where it is, and how act upon the obstacles met. In order to solve this problem, the car will be equipped with laser sensors and GPS. The car will use the GPS-system to determine where it is on the track in order to drive according to an optimal driving strategy. The laser sensors will enable the car to see the road and the obstacles it may meet while driving the track. It will also be necessary to automatize the cars steering and brakes, to give the car the same options as if it had a driver.