Michigan State University and Politecnico di Milano’s team, PoliMOVE-MSU, competed in the seventh edition of the Indy Autonomous Challenge at the iconic Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Sept. 6, taking first place in the passing competition and second place in the time trials competition. The team’s self-driving AV-24 race car, piloted by an AI driver developed by PoliMOVE-MSU, reached 180 mph, winning the passing competition and setting a new world record for the fastest passing overtake by an autonomous vehicle.
During the passing competition finale, the PoliMOVE-MSU team – made up of students and faculty from Politecnico di Milano and MSU – raced neck and neck against the UNIMORE Racing (University of Modena and Reggio Emilia) team for 30 laps. Throughout the race, the team demonstrated a groundbreaking feat of stability, safety and vehicle control, successfully executing a controlled stop from 145 mph. The team achieved a total of 19 overtakes at increasingly higher speeds, claiming victory with its final record-setting overtake of 180 mph.
Due to GPS connectivity issues, the UNIMORE race car was forced to stop abruptly while entering the first turn of the race. The PoliMOVE-MSU AI driver, trailing just 80 feet behind, quickly detected this and safely avoided a collision by coming to a controlled stop, maintaining full vehicle stability.
“This challenge represents yet another important milestone for this team and for autonomous mobility,” said Judd Herzer, MSU Mobility director. “Our continued record-setting success at both the Goodwood Festival of Speed in July and this most recent race in the Racing Capital of the World highlights our contributions to inspiring confidence in future autonomous driving applications and extending unique opportunities to the next generation of mobility talent.”
During the time trials competition portion of the event, PoliMOVE-MSU came in second place with a speed of 170.651 mph, behind Cavalier Autonomous Racing (University of Virginia), which took first place. Overall, nine teams representing 13 top universities from North America, Europe and Asia, including PoliMOVE-MSU, attended the race.
Earlier this year at the Goodwood Festival of Speed, the self-driving AV-24 race car set a new record for the fastest autonomous hill climb, reaching 111.2 mph and completing the climb in just 66.37 seconds. The next competition is slated for the Las Vegas Motor Speedway in January 2025 as part of CES, a tech trade show for breakthrough technologies and global innovators.
Current sponsors and partners of the PoliMOVE-MSU team include the Michigan Office of Future Mobility and Electrification and the Michigan State University Research Foundation.
To engage with MSU’s IAC race team or become a Checkered Flag or Green Flag supporter with a “front-row” seat to experience the future of racing, contact David Bertram at dbertram@msu.edu or 517-927-3525.
