Self-driving Maserati breaks autonomous speed record

Italy has long been known for producing some of the fastest race car drivers in the world, and now it is also home to the fastest car-driving AI. A self-driving software developed by a team at the country’s largest science and tech university has set a new record for the fastest speed achieved by an autonomous car, reaching an impressive 197.7 mph (318 km/h).

AI Takes the Wheel of a Maserati MC20

Researchers from Politecnico di Milano collaborated with the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) to put a “robo-driver” behind the wheel of a customized Maserati MC20 Coupe. This $243,000 beast delivers 630 hp and 538 lb-ft (729 Nm) of torque from its 3.0-liter twin-turbo V6 engine. It has a top speed of 202 mph (325 km/h), meaning the AI came just slightly short of the MC20’s top limit.

This achievement took place during the 1000 Miglia Experience Florida at the Kennedy Space Center on February 23. The car sped down a 2.8-mile-long (4.5 km) runway, surpassing the previous record of 177 mph (285 km/h) set by the same car last November.

Additionally, this new record beats the previous one of 192.2 mph (309.3 km/h), set by the PoliMOVE team (a joint project between Politecnico di Milano and the University of Alabama) with an IAC AV-21 race car in April 2022.

Watch the AI Maserati in Action

Watch the driverless Maserati zoom down the runway in the video below. In addition to the impressive visuals, the video displays live telemetry data. Furthermore, two GPS units are used to precisely record the car’s speed, which, as a result, is just slightly lower than what appears on screen. This ensures an accurate and reliable measurement of the car’s performance.

Paul Mitchell, CEO of Indy Autonomous Challenge, explained that the purpose of the program goes beyond just being a show. In fact, it focuses on testing the capabilities of self-driving technology in extreme conditions. Moreover, the initiative aims to push the boundaries of what autonomous systems can achieve in high-pressure environments. Consequently, this helps to further develop and refine the technology for real-world applications.”…We are pushing AI-driving software and robotics hardware to the absolute limit,” he said. “Doing this with a streetcar helps transition the lessons learned from autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways.”

Read the original article on: New Atlas

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