Winning Through Simplicity: Autonomous Car Design for Formula Student

TL;DR

This paper describes the design and implementation of a simple, efficient autonomous race car by a small team, which successfully competed in multiple Formula Student events and won an engineering design award.

Contribution

The paper introduces a streamlined, effective approach to autonomous race car design that emphasizes simplicity, enabling a small team to achieve competitive success.

Findings

Won the Formula Student East Engineering Design award

Successfully competed in multiple events including acceleration and skidpad

Demonstrated that simplicity can lead to effective autonomous vehicle performance

Abstract

This paper presents the design of an autonomous race car that is self-designed, self-developed, and self-built by the Elefant Racing team at the University of Bayreuth. The system is created to compete in the Formula Student Driverless competition. Its primary focus is on the Acceleration track, a straight 75-meter-long course, and the Skidpad track, which comprises two circles forming an eight. Additionally, it is experimentally capable of competing in the Autocross and Trackdrive events, which feature tracks with previously unknown straights and curves. The paper details the hardware, software and sensor setup employed during the 2020/2021 season. Despite being developed by a small team with limited computer science expertise, the design won the Formula Student East Engineering Design award. Emphasizing simplicity and efficiency, the team employed streamlined techniques to achieve their success.