"Autonomous Driving Race, This Excitement..." Hyundai Motor, World's First Unmanned Vehicle Racing Competition

On the 10th, Hyundai Motor Group Autonomous Driving Challenge
Unmanned autonomous car race at Yongin Speedway circuit
Thrilling scenes as 3 unmanned cars overtake each other
Konkuk University wins... KAIST takes 2nd place

#On the afternoon of the 10th at Yongin Speedway in Gyeonggi-do, three autonomous vehicles in red, blue, and green stood on the circuit. The green car tried to overtake, but the red car blocked it. When the car behind tried to bypass again, the car in front blocked it once more. The speed was not fast, but spectators felt anxious. Would they collide? This is because both cars are autonomous vehicles without drivers.

There was no one inside the cars. Instead, they moved according to pre-coded algorithms. Although the driver's seat was empty, the steering wheel autonomously changed direction, and the brakes were applied by itself in curved sections to reduce speed. The algorithm recorded lap times similar to those of actual racing drivers. The records showed no fluctuations because the algorithm does not get nervous like humans. The final mission was to stop at a designated section. The leading vehicle perfectly completed the mission. The second-place vehicle required even higher technical skills because it had to detect the first-place car ahead and stop precisely in the correct zone. When the second vehicle also successfully stopped perfectly, cheers erupted from the stands.

Hyundai Motor Group has been hosting Korea's largest autonomous driving competition, the 'Autonomous Driving Challenge,' since 2010. On this day at Yongin Speedway, the world's first unmanned autonomous racing event based on mass-produced cars was held. This competition is the only one where three or more mass-produced autonomous vehicles raced on a circuit.

An autonomous vehicle measuring lap times during the preliminary round of the 2023 Autonomous Driving Challenge held on the 9th [Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

The race involved three autonomous vehicles based on the Ioniq 5 starting simultaneously and completing 10 laps on a 2.7 km circuit. Each vehicle could run at speeds exceeding 180 km/h, but a speed limit (under 100 km/h) was imposed until the fourth lap. Vehicles that exceeded the set speed limit or violated overtaking or parking regulations received penalties added to their total driving time. While crossing the finish line first was important, the main goal was to complete the circuit without penalties.

Teams from Konkuk University, Inha University, and KAIST advanced to the final race. A thrilling scene unfolded where the three vehicles met at one point and attempted overtaking. However, Inha University's autonomous vehicle left the course and was disqualified, leaving only Konkuk University and KAIST's two autonomous vehicles to complete the race. The final victory went to Konkuk University's AutoKU-R team, which set the best lap record of 1 minute 49 seconds. KAIST's EureCar-R team finished second with a time of 2 minutes 6 seconds.

An autonomous vehicle measuring lap times during the preliminary round of the 2023 Autonomous Driving Challenge held on the 9th [Photo by Hyundai Motor Group]

Since this competition was the world's first autonomous racing based on mass-produced cars, the preparation process was unique. Hyundai Motor Group provided each finalist team with one Ioniq 5 and research funding up to 50 million KRW. The vehicles were modified to operate the autonomous driving system and then provided to each team.

Each participating team built their autonomous vehicles by installing sensors such as LiDAR, radar, and cameras in optimal positions according to their independently developed algorithms. They also underwent three practice runs to refine the technologies necessary for high-speed autonomous driving. During this process, Hyundai Motor and Kia researchers directly supported the technology required for autonomous vehicle production. Hyundai Motor Group offered vehicle training, hardware modification and inspection, software updates, and development guidance to the teams through technical exchange meetings and seminars.

Because this unprecedented competition involved simultaneous high-speed autonomous driving of multiple vehicles, all participating vehicles underwent a separate procedure to check basic autonomous driving performance before entering the circuit. Only vehicles that perfectly executed scenarios such as obstacle avoidance and parking position compliance were granted final participation eligibility.

Kim Yong-hwa, CTO (President) of Hyundai Motor and Kia, said, "This competition is significant because, unlike previous ones, it comprehensively evaluates perception, judgment, and control technologies at high speeds. We will continue to provide a platform for advanced technology competitions and lead efforts so that universities can focus on pioneering technology development."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.