Part Two of the SAE International AutoDrive Challenge Kicks off Today

The next generation of autonomous and connected vehicle engineers will showcase their autonomous driving solutions at the Mcity proving ground in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

May 29, 2019

William Kucinski

Mcity – the University of Michigan ’s autonomous vehicle proving ground – will be the site of the SAE International AutoDrive Challenge ’s college-level Year 2 Competition. The event, co-hosted by SAE and General Motors Company , will be held from May 29 to June 4 and focus on testing dynamic object detection and multiple lane changing solutions.

Since 2018, SAE and GM have partnered on the AutoDrive Challenge, which is a unique SAE Collegiate Design Series program for university students. It allows college students to participate in hands-on development of autonomous ground vehicles and using leading-edge technology, including the modification and integration of sensors and testing self-driving platforms in controlled environments.

The 32-acre Ann Arbor-based Mcity Test Facility , a public-private research and development center operated by Mcity on the University of Michigan’s North Campus Research Complex , will provide more than 16 acres of roads and traffic infrastructure for students as they work with real-world applications of sensing technologies, computing platforms, software design implementation, and advanced computation methods. These solutions include computer vision, pattern recognition, machine learning, artificial intelligence, sensor fusion, and autonomous vehicle controls.

William Kucinski is content editor at SAE International, Aerospace Products Group in Warrendale, Pa. Previously, he worked as a writer at the NASA Safety Center in Cleveland, Ohio and was responsible for writing the agency’s System Failure Case Studies. His interests include literally anything that has to do with space, past and present military aircraft, and propulsion technology.

Contact him regarding any article or collaboration ideas by e-mail at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..