Ohio State to Compete in SAE AutoDrive Challenge

Posted: 
AutoDrive Challenge

Join the Buckeye AutoDrive Team

The Ohio State University currently has five active student projects teams that spend countless hours in the garage behind the Center for Automotive Research (CAR) preparing for competitions both nationally and internationally. This fall that number will jump to six when Ohio State forms their inaugural team to compete in the SAE AutoDrive Challenge II, sponsored by SAE International and General Motors.  Buckeye AutoDrive will join nine other universities to take on the challenge of developing and demonstrating an autonomous vehicle (AV) that can navigate urban driving courses as described by SAE J3016™ Standard Level 4 automation.

The university teams selected to participate in the AutoDrive Challenge II are:

  • Kettering University
  • Michigan Technological University
  • North Carolina A&T State University
  • The Ohio State University
  • Penn State University
  • Texas A&M University
  • University of Toronto
  • University of Wisconsin – Madison
  • Queens University
  • Virginia Tech

For this four year competition, GM will provide each team with a Chevrolet Bolt EUV vehicle which they will design and integrate their own AV system into with the goal of having it drive as a fully autonomous vehicle through an urban driving course. The teams will meet annually for competitive events at test facilities around the U.S. including TRC Inc. and The Mcity Test Facility.

The faculty advisors will be led by Mechanical Engineering Research Associate Professor, Qadeer Ahmed and include Electrical and Computer Engineering Associate Professors Lisa Fiorintini and Keith Redmill and Faculty Emeritus Umit Ozguner. Computer Science Engineering Assistant Professor Harry Chao will serve as a faculty advisor as well. The advisors bring with them a diverse set of skills that will help the team take on the varied technical and cutting-edge topics in this competition.

Students on the Buckeye AutoDrive team will have the opportunity to experience hands-on AV technology training and interact with industry partners. Students interested in participating are encouraged to complete this interest form.