University of the North team prepares for RDW Self Driving Challengefor the second year running

To bring the future of autonomous transport a little closer, the Netherlands Vehicle Authority (RDW) organizes the annual Self Driving Challenge, in which students compete with their self-programmed self-driving cars. A team from the University of the North, with students from the University of Groningen, Hanze University of Applied Sciences, and Noorderpoort College, participates for the second year running. The challenge kicked off in Lelystad at the end of February and the team is on its way now!

The upcoming months, the students, who are sponsored by the Province of Groningen and robotTUNER, will be working on programming and preparing their self-driving car for the contest, so they can shine in the finals to be held on the RDW testing circuit in Lelystad on 12 June. In the open category, the students take on six other student teams from the Netherlands.

Step by step, closer to the future of autonomous transport

During the finals, the students have to complete several tasks. The car, this year provided by robotTUNER, has to stop and drive off at a traffic light on its own, it should be able to park, and overtake.

Johan in’t Holt of the RDW: ‘It is nice to see that teaching and knowledge institutions are also increasingly directing their attention towards autonomous transport. The Netherlands is generating more and more knowledge in this field. Step by step, this will bring us closer to the future of autonomous transport.'

Collaboration between secondary vocational (MBO), university of applied sciences (HBO), and university (WO) students in practice

Team captains Laura María Quirós Conesa, Bachelor student AI at the University of Groningen, and Ewoud Bouma, Bachelor student ICT at the Hanze, are excited: ‘The Self Driving Challenge offers us the unique opportunity to get to know several aspects of autonomous transport, together with students and staff members of other teaching and knowledge institutions. Autonomous transport is the future and that’s why it’s fantastic that we can be a part of this.’

Finals in Lelystad on 12 June

The finals are held at the RDW testing circuit in Lelystad, on Thursday 12 June. You can follow the team’s developments here.

If you want more information on the University of the North Self Driving Challenge Team, you can contact e.j.bouma@st.hanze.nl