Stanford Researchers Develop Self-Driving Robotic Race Car

Stanford's Dynamic Design Lab together with Volkswagen Electronics Research Lab developed ‘Shelley’, Stanford's self-driving Audi TTS. On a track test conducted recently, this car reached 120 mph. However, higher efficiency is anticipated by conducting a new research focusing on professional drivers' brain activity.

The white Audi TTS, which features decals and a few extra antennas, raced powerfully at the track at Thunderhill Raceway, north of Sacramento, California. The car’s tires squealed while driving across chicanes, with its engine sounding as it reached 120 mph on the straights. Within just 2-1/2 min, the car covered the 3-mi course.

During this summer, Shelley arrived at Thunderhill for high-speed tests conducted by Professor Chris Gerdes. The tests included leveraging the controlling software.

The experience and data collected from Shelley’s test drive will foster programming several fully autonomous cars. In future, advancement of this technology will lead to creating onboard co-pilot, ensuring the driver with a safe ride.

Gerdes and his students will race Shelley between August 17 and 19 at the Rolex Monterey Motorsports Reunion races, the Laguna Seca Raceway. Two professional drivers wearing an array of biological sensors will race round the track. The drivers' body temperature and heart rate will be monitored and registered by the sensors. In addition, the scalp electrodes will record the brain activity of drivers while they race against other humans.

The biological data will be coupled with mechanical performance data from a 1966 Ford GT40, which Stanford has provided with feedback sensors comparable to those on Shelley.

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