AV25 Hits the Track

On March 31st, 2025, UQ Racing’s Autonomous Vehicle team celebrated a significant breakthrough with the debut of AV25—the next evolution from AV24 'Dog'. This track day marked the current car’s first complete drive around the circuit, kicking off a new era in our autonomous racing journey.

Key Highlights

• First full-track drive of AV25.
• Extensive data collection for refining cone recognition and path planning algorithms.
• Guided by Autonomous Vehicle Lead Victor Churilov and driven by James Larking.
• Introduction of several new team members experiencing their first UQR track day.
• A surprise visit from a friendly dog that added a fun twist to the day!

Technical Insights

The focus of the day was on gathering a wealth of data to train our AI systems. Here’s what we achieved:

• Cone Recognition: Captured high-definition imagery and sensor data to improve our neural network's accuracy in detecting cones.
• Path Planning: Recorded dynamic driving data to optimize our algorithms for plotting the best path through unknown tracks.
• Telemetry & Performance: Collected detailed metrics on wheelspin, vehicle dynamics, and overall performance to refine AV25's control systems.

Fun Moments & Takeaways

A particularly memorable moment was the unexpected visit from a local dog, which wandered onto the track and quickly became an unofficial mascot for the day. He was seen around the computers trying to explain what the data meant for the team, as well as chasing any of the marshalls dressed as tennis balls

Overall, the track day was a resounding success. The data gathered will be pivotal in enhancing our AI systems for both cone detection and path planning, pushing AV25 closer to being a competition-ready autonomous racecar. With these insights, we’re excited to further refine our systems and continue breaking new ground in autonomous racing.

Stay tuned for more updates as we analyze the data and prepare for our next phase of testing!