The triumph was streamed live as UVA's Cavalier Autonomous Racing team, commonly known as "CAR" or "CAVCAR," outpaced its competition.
"This is a big win for us," said Trent Weiss, a doctoral student in UVA's School of Engineering and Applied Science, specializing in AI perception, moments after the finish.
The winning lap followed a weather delay that required the track to be dried with air blowers.
"The robot and the coding is driving absolutely beautiful lines," exclaimed racing commentator Greg Creamer, just before announcing the car's speed of "171.011!"
Madhur Behl, UVA Engineering associate professor and team principal, noted that the 171 mph was an average speed. He also mentioned that the car reached 184 mph as it crossed the "Yard of Bricks" section of the track. The team completed a lap in a record time of 52.62 seconds.
"This speed is the fastest the Indy Autonomous Challenge has ever seen in any race," said Behl.
After the race, Behl commented on social media, "This [speed accomplishment] was our goal from the start and therefore, despite less-than-ideal track conditions and colder weather, we knew we had the pace - and fully sent it."
While autonomous cars in the competition reached up to 171 mph, Indy cars with human drivers can hit speeds of around 230 mph.
The Indy Autonomous Challenge brings together universities that race AI-driven Dallara cars, similar to Formula 1 racecars but equipped with advanced computing systems. The competition aims to enhance the safety of autonomous vehicles by introducing real-world challenges.
Creamer's excitement was evident throughout the race, especially during the passing competition when UVA's car executed a quick maneuver to avoid a collision with UNIMORE's vehicle. CAVCAR's array of light detection and ranging sensors enabled the car's AI to react in real time to avoid a potential crash.
"Oh, that's awfully close! So close here!" Creamer shouted. "Cavalier['s AI] did a brilliant job of recognizing they were closing way too quickly and the line wasn't there, then moving inside and completing that pass. But that was breathtakingly close, wasn't it?"
Clemson University professor Robert Prucka, another race announcer, commented that he had never seen such an agile move from an autonomous car.
The Indy Autonomous Challenge has taken place at various locations since its launch in 2021, with this event marking a return to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the first time since the inaugural race. Teams participating in the event hail from countries known for automotive excellence, including Italy and Germany.
In January, UVA's team placed second at the Indy Autonomous Challenge in Las Vegas, trailing only the Technical University of Munich.
This year, teams raced new Dallara AV-24 models, with differences primarily in the AI algorithms and paint designs. Over the summer, UVA and other teams worked intensively to adapt their systems to the updated specifications.
The competition awarded a total of $1 million in prize money, with UVA earning $100,000 for winning the speed trial, along with an additional $75,000 for qualifying and reaching the semifinals in the passing competition.
Remarkably, UVA's team consisted of only four Ph.D. students, a smaller number compared to other top teams.
"We're going to spend the money getting more students," Behl said about the team's plans to use their prize winnings for graduate recruitment.
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