ASPIRE, a key branch of Abu Dhabi’s Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC), announced details of its new initiative aimed at spurring enthusiasm, innovation, and global investment in the development of autonomous vehicles: the Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL). On October 16th, the first day of GITEX Global, ASPIRE unveiled a model of the first ever automized Dallara Super Formula, SF23. This cutting-edge vehicle will transform racing in the inaugural autonomous race set for April 28th 2024 at the Abu Dhabi Yas Marina Circuit. This event is set to be the largest autonomous vehicle race in the world and will showcase autonomous car, drone, and dune buggy races.
H.E. Faisal Al Bannai, Secretary General of the ATRC, underscored that this initiative will position the U.A.E.’s autonomous vehicle industry at the “intersection of science, sports, and technology.” He underscored that the A2RL represents Abu Dhabi’s “growing reputation as an international research and development hub and a premier test bed for trialing proof-of-concept autonomous solutions.”
The A2RL will bring together ten elite teams from global universities and research institutions to compete for a prize of $2.25 million. Indiana University and Code19 Racing will team up, as will University of California Berkeley and University of Hawaii, to represent the United States in the race. Other competing teams include: Beijing Institute of Technology and Khalifa University (China and U.A.E.), Constructor Group (Switzerland and Singapore), Hungarian Mobility Development Agency (Hungary), Kinetiz and Nanyang Technological University (Singapore), Politecnico di Milano (Italy), Technical University of Munich (Germany), Technology Innovation Institute (U.A.E.), and University of Modena and Reggio Emilia (Italy).
Each team will have access to a brand new Dallara Super Formula SF23 car, which is manufactured from sustainable bio-composite materials and weighs 690 kgs. It is currently the fastest open-wheel race car in the world after Formula One, and can reach up to 300 km/h. The ten teams will adopt their software algorithms to the vehicle for the race.
Dr. Tom McCarthy, Executive Director at ASPIRE, testified that the initiative is “not just redefining mobility’s future,” but that it is also “inspiring a new generation to reimagine and innovate for a brighter future in a thrilling, international-scale race.”
For more information about A2RL and engagement opportunities, please visit the website at a2rl.io.
