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OxTS gears up for 2019 AutoDrive Challenge

Company News May 23, 2019

Oxford Technical Solutions heads to Michigan for the latest round of the SAE International/General Motors-backed autonomous vehicle development competition.

OxTS is making its final preparations for year two of the AutoDrive Challenge, the autonomous vehicle design competition for students that is intended to accelerate the development of self-driving cars while fostering the next generation of automotive engineers.

The three-year competition has been organised by the Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) International in collaboration with General Motors. Teams of students from eight universities across the US and Canada have been tasked with developing a fully autonomous passenger car. Using a Chevrolet Bolt as the base vehicle, the ultimate goal is to demonstrate SAE Standard Level 4 autonomous driving capability by the end of the competition’s third and final year.

Following on from our successful participation as an AutoDrive Challenge Product Sponsor in 2018, OxTS’ status has been upgraded to that of Official Supplier for 2019. Once again, we will be supplying a full suite of precision measuring equipment to each of the eight teams, including an RT3003 GNSS-aided inertial navigation system (INS), an RT-Range S, an RT-XLAN radio unit and the RT-Strut in-car mounting device. We’re providing a full installation and technical support package, including on-site personnel, for the duration of the competition.

This year’s AutoDrive Challenge judging event takes place from 29th May to 4th June at the University of Michigan’s Mcity proving ground. Challenges will consist of four key tasks, each focusing on urban driving scenarios: the Pedestrian Challenge, the Traffic Control Sign Challenge, the Intersection Challenge and the so-called Mcity Challenge. Teams have 30 minutes to complete each task, and OxTS’ products are used to validate the scoring metrics that determine the winners of each round.

Danny O’Boyle,  OxTS commercial manager, said : “Our involvement in the AutoDrive Challenge last year was an immensely rewarding experience, and we’re proud to take on the role of Official Supplier for year two of the competition. We are, of course, delighted once again to provide a full package of equipment and support to help ensure accuracy and fairness in the judging process, but what we really enjoy is the opportunity to engage with the brightest young minds the industry has to offer.”

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