Purdue AI Racing Initiative

Composite photo of people with the words Black and Gold Autonomous Racing Purdue and West Point.

  • 2 World-Class Engineering Universities
  • 1 Pro Driver and Winning Race Team
  • 1 Indy 500 Race Winning Engineer
  • 8 PhDs
  • 4 PhD Candidates
  • 28 Undergraduate Engineers
  • 10 Partners in Industry
  • 6 Combat Veterans
  • Award-winning marketing and creative team

Purdue AI Racing Initiative is a collaboration between Purdue University and the United States Military Academy at West Point in order to compete in the Indy Autonomous Challenge. The usage of West Point logos, markings, or other indicia alongside sponsors and partner logos does not imply endorsement by West Point. Sponsors and partners are non-federal entities and not an official activity of the United States Military Academy. They are not endorsed, recommended, or favored by the United States government. The views and opinions expressed by these organizations do not necessarily state or reflect those of the United States Military Academy, Department of the Army, or Department of Defense.

Rendering of Dallara-Built AV-21 racecar.

Dallara-Built AV-21

Official racecar of the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC)

The IAC is a collaborative ffort that brings together public, private, and academic institutions to challenge university students around the world to imagine, invent, and prove a new generation of AV software and inspire the next generation of STEM talent.

Purdue AI Racing Initiative

  • Started as "Black and Gold" Autonomous Racing team in 2020
  • Formerly in partnership with West Point Military Academy
  • 1 of 9 active IAC teams using the Dallara AV-21 chassis
  • Last event with Purdue participation: Autonomous Challenge (CES 2023), Las Vegas

Why is future AI-based autonomy important?

  • Enhancing passenger & frieght transport: safer, faster, ecnomical
  • Higher ecnomic productivity and developement
  • Truck driver training for high-speed operations in future era of truck automation
  • Enhancing robustness, fault detection, & forensics for high-speed autonomous systems
  • Highly efficient military weapon systems

Design

Car design in a collaboartion between Dallara's Italian headquarters in Varano Melegrai, Parma, and Dallara USA.

Autonomous

Retrofitted with hardware and controls to enable automation.

Speed

Land speed record: 192 MPH

Tech

  • Uses state-of-the-art algorithms to tackle engineering challenges such as:
  • Sensor fusion with GPS/LiDAR/inertial navigation sensors
  • Machine learning, AI algorithms
  • High-speed collision avoidance, curve negotation, adversarial overtaking
  • Path planning
  • Vehicle system dynamics and controls

Sponorship Opportunities

Purdue AI Racing Initiative is always looking for industry partners and private donors to support the team, and ultimately, to further advance Purdue's national leadership in AI and systems automation. For details, please contact Dean Arvind Raman.


AV-21 Autonomous Indy Car Signage