A group of students from the Faculty of Engineering of the Universidad Austral is making its mark on the international stage by competing in the Bosch Future Mobility Challenge (BFMC) in RomaniaThis team, made up of students of Industrial Engineering and Computer Science, He is the first to qualify and thus represent Latin America in this high-level technical competition.
The BFMC, organized by the Bosch Engineering Center Cluj, invites student teams from around the world to develop connectivity and autonomous driving algorithms for 1/10 scale vehicles provided by the company. The competition simulates a miniature smart city where the vehicles must navigate autonomously, challenging the use of artificial intelligence and presenting a significant challenge for the participating students.
The team Universidad AustralThe team, comprised of Agustín Battaglia, Tomás Becerra, Mateo Whitechurch, Marcos Medina (Industrial Engineer), Ricardo López, and Alejo Demitropulos (Computer Engineer), received the vehicle they are competing with last December. Agustín tells us about the challenges they must overcome: “With an investment of USD 18 we have reached the semi-final, when the average investment is USD 600.”
To win the competition, they need to improve image processing and the efficiency of their algorithms. This can be achieved by investing up to USD 1000 in the car, which is why they are currently seeking sponsors.
After a rigorous selection process, in which only 80 teams were accepted out of 160 applicants, the team of the Universidad Austral He stood out and was one of the 24 chosen to advance in the competition and represent Latin America in Romania.
The competition will take place from May 14 to 20, 2024, in Cluj-Napoca, Romania. The event begins on May 15 with an opening meeting, where the schedule and other relevant details will be presented to the participating teams.
From May 15 to 17, a testing period will take place at the Bosch Engineering Center in Cluj, where all teams will test their algorithms on the competition track.
The semi-final will take place on May 18, followed by the grand final on May 19, where up to eight teams will compete for the prizes at stake.
In addition to the track competition, a networking event will also be held on May 19 to celebrate the achievements and hard work of all participating teams, where all members present will be invited, including team members, mentors, organizers, and jury members.
The competition consists of two main parts: race preparation and the race itself. The latter refers to the live demonstration of each team's autonomous vehicle on the competition track.
During preparation, teams submit a presentation highlighting their vehicle concept and strengths, along with scripts for technical and speed challenges. During the race, teams demonstrate their vehicles' live performance on the track, including a presentation, a technical challenge, and a speed challenge. The vehicle's ability to navigate autonomously and complete assigned tasks will be evaluated.
The teams will compete for a variety of cash prizes, including €7,000 for first place, €5,000 for second place, and €3,000 for third place. In addition, there are special awards, such as the Audience Award and the Marketing Award, which recognize the teams' public support and social media presence.
La Universidad Austral We are proud to support this talented team of students representing the Southern Hemisphere in the Bosch Future Mobility Challenge. We wish them the best of luck in the competition and are confident they will demonstrate their ability and dedication in this challenging international arena. Go, Team Austral!
