Award Overview
We welcome all engineering faculty to encourage their students to participate in the Self-Driving Car Student Competition during the American Control Conference in Toronto, July 10 – 12, 2024.
Self-Driving Challenge
The organizing committee has configured the self-driving challenge to highlight critical Control Systems concepts that will focus on real-time decisions feedback control systems that will result in faster and more precise driving performance. The tasks include but are not limited to:
- Time to complete the path (circuit)
- Accuracy of driving
- Timely reactions to stop signs and traffic lights
- Avoidance of obstacles
Learn more about the challenge via the video.
Application Stages
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1Stage 1 : Virtual Design & Submission - Finished
Each team was given a virtual environment compatible with the on-site demonstration and had access to a virtual representation of vehicle models provided by Quanser. Teams submitted their conceptual plan based on the tasks given.
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2Stage 2 : Algorithm Validation on physical vehicles - On going
After judging the outcomes of Stage 1, we’ve selected 11 teams that stood out based on speed, accuracy of driving within the lane and following of traffic rules. They will be sent a physical QCar, allowing them to transfer their code from the virtual environment to the physical self-driving car and provide the opportunity for algorithm validation and refinement before the in-person competition.
Join us to congratulate the shortlisted teams!
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3Stage 3 : On-site demonstration and competition
the shortlisted teams will be invited to attend ACC 2024 in Toronto and participate in the on-site competition.
Award Package for winning team
- QCar – The feature vehicle of Quanser’s Self-Driving Car Studio
- QLabs Virtual QCar – 1-year subscription of digital twin virtual environment
- $2,000 cash prize (divided between student team-members)
- Golden QCar Trophy
Important dates:
- Registration: Until February 29, 2024
- Stage 1: Until April 30, 2024
- Stage 2: Until June 30th, 2024
- Stage 3: July 10-11, 2024
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The student teams take this opportunity to practice in the actual competition environment.
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10:00am – 11:30am Team races
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12:30pm – 1:30pm Championship and Award Ceremony
Register for next year’s competition: 2025 American Control Conference Self-Driving Car Student Competition – Quanser
Take a look at FAQ before you contact us!
| Q: Is having a faculty member or professor on the team mandatory? | A: We suggest having a supervising professor on the competition team who may help coordinate resources and orchestrate progress. |
| Q: What is the maximum number of members in the competition team? | A: We do not have a specific limit on the number of people on each participating team, and team composition is based on the best combination that will accomplish the task. Based on the 2023 competition’s experience, a team has an average of 5 members. |
| Q: Do we need to provide details of all team members? | A: Yes, we will email the supervising professor to follow up. |
| Q: How do you ensure that teams are updated with timely information? | A: First, we strongly recommend nominating a Team Captain, and we will contact your Team Captain via email. Secondly, please connect with us through LinkedIn, where you can find the most updated information on the competition. |
| Q: How can I get in touch if I need advice on technical issues? | A: Please email your specific requirement to studentcompetition@quanser.com. A dedicated Quanser engineer team will review and reply. |
| Q: Is there a fee for the teams to join the competition? | A: Registration and participation in the competition are complimentary. Teams advancing beyond Stage 1 will be responsible for their travel expenses and ACC conference registration during Stage 3 on-site competition in Toronto. |
| Q: Do all team members need to attend Stage 3 in Toronto if they qualify? | A: We understand that some team members may have visa issues to travel to Toronto. A possible solution is to let some team members join Stage 3 remotely while others go to the live event in Toronto. |