The first race of Abu Dhabi Autonomous Racing League (A2RL) took place today at the Yas Marina Abu Dhabi Formula 1 Grand Prix circuit, and I am pleased to announce that a race has both started and finished. But the event did not go smoothly, far from it. During qualifying time trials, the driverless Dallara Super Formula drivers, equipped with cameras and software, appeared to struggle to complete a full lap.
During testing, the cars made random noises:
Or simply leave the track to take a little break:
You become familiar with the interstitial music during these high points. Praise be to the patience and grace of the commenters, who did not once sigh at what I heard. Instead, they said, for example, that these cars “push the boundaries of science.”
When this it’s time for the race itselfthe leading runner, Polimove, spun in the fourth of eight rounds. The second car, Tum, passed him safely, but shortly after, event officials waved a yellow flag. And since they are good AI drivers who follow the rules, the two behind Polimove stopped, unwilling to pass the broken down yellow car. Riders aren’t supposed to pass each other during a caution lap, you see.
About an hour into the first lap of A2RL, the AI drivers completed their eight-lap race. If you must know, Tum won.
Autonomous racing is still in its infancy, and things will surely get better eventually – they’ve certainly come a long way since then. Roborace’s first complete circuit in 2017. I look forward to the day when they are as good as human runners (if that it never happens). But for now, we’re still in the “praise baby for successfully getting most of his food in his mouth” phase of independent runners.
