Velodyne Lidar sponsored the Autonomous Driving Robot Race 2022 held on Sunmoon University’s Asan Campus in South Korea this July 2022. The autonomous vehicle (AV) competition, which featured our Puck lidar sensors on each vehicle, was won by the Hongik University team. The competition was hosted by the Korean Society of Robotics.
The race brought together student engineering teams from seven universities. All participating teams worked with the same AV platform to create a technically equal environment. Velodyne was honored to be able to support this group of next-generation AV developers.
The contest featured a race where all the AV race cars started at the same time, which tested the team’s technological prowess in operating on a crowded racetrack. This race start distinguished the event from other self-driving car competitions in South Korea, which are typically based on individual AV departure times.
In the race finals, starting positions were determined by each team’s best lap time in the preliminary round. The winner was determined by the total number of driving laps over the course of 60 minutes.
In addition to Hongik University, other competing teams were from Seoul National University (with two teams participating), Sunmoon University, Sungkyunkwan University, Yonsei University and Halla University.
Velodyne’s Puck sensors provide rich 3D computer perception data that allows real-time localization, mapping, object detection, classification and tracking to support safe navigation and reliable operation. The Puck is a small, compact lidar sensor that delivers 100-meter range. Its reliability, power-efficiency and surround view make it an ideal solution for autonomous mobility solutions.
“In the Autonomous Driving Robot Race, next generation AV engineers had the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of how 3D lidar perception powers autonomous vehicles. Velodyne feels privileged to have sponsored the competition and help the teams advance their engineering skills so they can contribute to building the future of autonomous mobility,” said Jangwon Lee, Account Director in South Korea.
Velodyne Lidar (Nasdaq: VLDR, VLDRW) ushered in a new era of autonomous technology with the invention of real-time surround view lidar sensors. Velodyne, a global leader in lidar, is known for its broad portfolio of breakthrough lidar technologies. Velodyne’s revolutionary sensor and software solutions provide flexibility, quality and performance to meet the needs of a wide range of industries, including robotics, industrial, intelligent infrastructure, autonomous vehicles and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS). Through continuous innovation, Velodyne strives to transform lives and communities by advancing safer mobility for all.
