NASCAR for nerds? Professional auto race series gearing up for new driverless “ROBORACE” events

For those not privy to the happenings in the auto race world, the Formula E championship was developed as a cleaner alternative to the better established and known, Formula One series.

To promote the new circuit, the folks at Formula E have teamed up with Kinetik, a company that specializes in electric vehicles and trains, and created a new competition called “ROBORACE”. It will feature 10 teams, with two competing against one another prior to each Formula E race. All cars will of course be outfitted with the latest advancements in vehicle technology; they will also include on-board programming capable of making split-second, real-time decisions based on computer algorithms. 

“In the future, all of the world's vehicles will be assisted by AI and powered by electricity, thus improving the environment and road safety,” said Denis Sverdlov, the founder of Kinetik. “ROBORACE is a celebration of revolutionary technology and innovation that humanity has achieved.”

ROBORACE will officially begin in the 2016-2017 season, but to give you an idea on where these events will be held, cities on the 2015-16 Formula E circuit include Beijing, Paris, Berlin, London, and Buenos Aires.

“Robotic technologies and AI can co-exist with us in real life. Anyone who is at the edge of this transformation now has a platform to show the advantages of their driverless solutions and this shall push the development of the technology.”

Via Phys.org