The first-ever driverless car race didn't go so well
It was a historic weekend for racing, and I’m not just talking about Jaguar’s win in Monaco at the Formula E on Saturday. Instead, the Autonomous Racing League broke barriers when it kicked off its first real-life competition at the Yas Marina circuit in Abu Dhabi . However, the barriers being broken were the ones bordering the circuit, as the event was plagued with random crashes and spins from the self-driving race cars.
The Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) was created in an attempt to reignite science and technology education in the United Arab Emirates and beyond, by showcasing just what technology might one day be capable of.
To do this, the A2RL kicked off with a grid filled with heavily-modified Dalara race cars, which bear a striking resemblance to the kinds of cars junior drivers race in Japan’s Super Formula series . However, instead of having space for a driver in the cockpit, the A2RL cars has an array of cameras, sensors and computers to drive the car.
The first race of the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) took place on the Yas Marina Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Formula 1 track today, and I’m pleased to report that a race both began and ended. But the event was not without strife — far from it. During qualifying time trials, the driverless Dallara Super Formula racers outfitted with cameras and software seemed to struggle mightily to complete a full lap.
