COMPETITIONS
Formula Student UK
Formula Student UK is an international car competition for students in the mechanical & electrical field. Organised every year by IMechE, the Institution of Mechanical Engineers, the competition takes place at the famous Silverstone circuit every summer. At this competition, teams composed of student from all over the world must conceive, build and test a single-seater racing car according to the IMechE rules.
The autonomous class called FSAI is a competition where autonomous racing cars compete against each other. The participating teams must conceive and build an autonomous racing car capable of following an unknown path without any human intervention. Thus, the car must be capable of detecting and reacting to the possible obstacles on the track and be equipped with adapted sensors and softwares to make it safe and autonomous.
The autonomous events from the Formula Student UK include technical inspections of both the feasibility of the project and its security. Static and dynamic events are also on the schedule with for example an event where the team must present a technical report of their work, an event with a business plan presentation and so on. The built cars are then assessed on their performance, their reliability,their innovations, and their marketing potential.
The autonomous events from the Formula Student UK include technical inspections of both the feasibility of the project and its security. Static and dynamic events are also on the schedule with for example an event where the team must present a technical report of their work, an event with a business plan presentation and so on. The built cars are then assessed on their performance, their reliability,their innovations, and their marketing potential.
Formula Student France
Back in 2022 at the Nevers Magny-Cours track, the announcement of the cration of the French Formula Student organised at Transpolis Lyon was made. This competition, supported by the state and the Auvergne Rhône-Alpes district aims to promote innovation and green technologies in the racing vehicles field.
Also supported by Symbio, a company specialized in the production of clean energy such as Hydrogen, Symbio gives its financial support to enhance the use of the hydrogen technology in the field of racing vehicles.
Teams will have untile 2024 to prepare for the first french formula student competition, where the best projects will be rewarded for their performance, the innovation, and their respect of the environment.
INSPECTIONS
AI and Sensors inspection
The aim of the inspection is to verify that the system developped by ARECE obey the rules and is fit to participate in the static and dynamic events. The inspection takes place in the following way : Part A : • Steering test • Reaching 200 RPM in 10 secondes • Complete stop in less than 10 seconds Part B : • Reaching 50 RPM • Emergency stop Part C : • Between cones, steering test • 10 meters to accelerate, 10 meters to stop • 10 meters to accelerate, emergency stop • No cône must have fallen
STATIC EVENTS
There are four static events that follows inspection. Each of them allows the team to receive up to 450 points :
Business plan presentation AI and the real world Design engineering Simulation development
100 points 100 points 150 points 100points
The Business Plan Presentation
Throughout the static events, ARECE is meant to present a business plan. The aim of this event is to evaluate the team capacity to produce and present a market study to potential investors played by the jury. The theme of the market study is the realisation of new software for autonomous vehicles boarding an AI allowing them to be certified SAE Level 4 in an urban environment in order to allow for populations to move from suburbs to city-centers. Through the presentation of the business plan, the team will have to suggest a solution to the development of the onboard computer, the used sensors and the onboard software to develop by estimating the costs over a 24 months period. The market study must also take into account the realisation of the solution over the technical challenges and over the supply chain challenges.
AI and the real world
This event allows the judges to verify the general culture of the teams about the place of AI in our world but also the challenges encountered for its integration in autonomous vehicles. The topic is particularly oriented about the challenger to overcome in order to have autonomous vehicles capable of driving by themselves on tommorow's road network, in cohabitation with all the other users. A study about the readiness of indutries to overcome this challenger is also expected.
Design Engineering
In this event, the team's reflexion effort about the development of their AI model for the competition is evaluated. A written report and an oral presentation are expected. The jury will then evaluate our technical description of the used AI, the sensors and their integration, but also the creation of our embedded software. High-level diagrams, algorithms and a presentation of our design's architecture are also expected.
Simulation development
The aim of this event is to evaluate the student's knowledge and skills about the simulation of their AI model inside a virtual environment. It is mandatory to simulate a least one dynamic event from the FS competition and the present the result to the jury. A made in ARECE sensor's development or the simulation of more than one event will be highly rewarded. The used simulator will be judged by its capacity to integrate meteorological factors, the quality of its car integration but also about the integration of the used control drivers of the car.
DYNAMIC EVENTS
Alongside of the static events, the 4 dynamic events form the heart of the Formula Student competition. Counting for 550 of the 1000 points in total, the events are as follows :
Skidpad Accekeration Autocross / Sprint Trackdrive
100 points 100 points 100 points 250points
The Skidpad
The skidpad event consists of a track shaped like a 8. Composed of two concentric circles of 21 meters diameter from the outside, the time taken by the car to complete the track depends on the trajectory defined by the car, but also and mainly depends on the adherence of the car to the track. Here, the best time of all the FSAI class wins the most points.
The acceleration
The track for the acceleration event is a 75 meters straight line of 3 meters wide. With a cone every 5 meters, ARECE has 2 passes on the acceleration track to realise the best one. After the 75 meters long acceleration, the ADS-DV has 100 meters to come to a complete stop.
The autocross / Sprint
The autocross takes place on a closed track that presents the following conditions : straight lines shorter than 80 meters, bend with a diameter smaller than 9 meters, chicanes, variables district and also consecutives turns. After an acknowledgement tour by feet and without any electronic devices, ARECE now has two turns to make the best chronometer on the track. The first turn is then the first real meet of the car with the track.
The Trackdrive
The trackdrive event is the one that can bring the most points to the team in FSAI. Unlike the autocross, the track is this time a loop, that responds to the same criteria of the last event, with a slight difference in its conception. ARECE now has 10 turns to discover the circuit, optimize the trajectory and realise the best chronometer. Disclaimer : the car may or may not bring down some cones. If one or more have fallen, the car may struggle to find its path. In that case, the car has to adapt and be ready to drive even with a cone right in the middle, or with a cone missing on the border line. The objective to keep all of the cones is primary because each fallen cone leads to a 2 seconds penalty.