TOKYO, April 8, 2024—Autoware Foundation, home to Autoware, the world’s leading open-source project for autonomous driving, is excited to announce that The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) has joined the Autoware Foundation as a member, marking a significant step towards empowering students around the world in the field of autonomous mobility. This partnership highlights a commitment to supporting the platforms that make advanced technology accessible and fostering an environment where the next generation of engineers can innovate and excel.

The collaboration between the IAC and the Autoware Foundation has already borne fruit in the form of the SIM Races, an AI driver competition utilizing the integrated AV-21 dynamics and the Autoware Foundation’s open-source simulation platform, AWSIM. The results of this competition, showcasing the ingenuity and dedication of participating students, were presented at IAC’s booth at CES 2024.

“The IAC has pledged to become a member of the Autoware Foundation after last year’s successful SIM Races challenge, which we want to repeat this year with a more comprehensive scope,” stated Samet Kütük, Board Member at the Autoware Foundation. “The open-source nature of the Autoware project makes this partnership so impactful,” Kütük explains. “It ensures that our collaborative efforts with the Indy Autonomous Challenge are genuinely accessible to anyone, anywhere. We are not just hosting a competition but cultivating a global community of innovators and problem-solvers.”

Paul Mitchell, CEO of the Indy Autonomous Challenge, underscores the essence of this collaboration. “Our partnership with the Autoware Foundation is a cornerstone in our mission to open up the world of autonomous mobility to students globally,” he states. “By leveraging Autoware’s open-source platform, we provide an unparalleled opportunity for hands-on learning and development. AV-21 vehicle dynamics in the open-source AWSIM simulator is just one aspect; the real story is about breaking down barriers and empowering talent from all corners of the world.”

As 2024 unfolds, the IAC and the Autoware Foundation are enthusiastic about continuing their collaboration.

“Autoware Foundation’s years of experience in developing open-source autonomous vehicle technology, including open-source simulation and our global network of 35+ universities and educational institutions worldwide, poses a unique opportunity to empower tomorrow’s engineers, not only via university programs but also via STEM programs,” stated Samet Kütük. “We have a great reach to the broader AV landscape through alliances and ongoing partnerships with like-minded organizations, such as the IAC and F1Tenth Foundation, that enables us to facilitate the autonomous vehicle innovators of the future generation.”

Paul Mitchell also highlighted the future prospects of this partnership: “This partnership is about democratizing the field of autonomous systems, making it possible for students from diverse backgrounds to contribute to and lead to the future of mobility. Together with the Autoware Foundation, we are setting a precedent for accessibility and innovation in the world of autonomous mobility. Our joint efforts will build a bridge that connects academic theory with real-world application, nurturing a generation of engineers who are not just job-ready but pioneers of future robotics technologies.”

With the Autoware Foundation, we are an example for the future: open accessibility and democratization of innovation in the field of autonomous mobility. This is where our combined contributions are going to work toward building a bridge between academic theory and how it is applied in the real world. This will frame a generation of engineers not job-ready but pioneers of future technologies. This partnership aims to democratize the field of autonomous systems, where students from all walks of life can come and be able to contribute and lead the mobility revolution.

About the Autoware Foundation

The Autoware Foundation is a non-profit organization that hosts the Autoware project, the world’s leading open-source software project for autonomous driving. The Autoware project is built on Robot Operating System (ROS), and through using open source, it lowers the entry barrier to autonomous driving technology and enables commercial deployment of autonomous driving in a broad range of vehicles and applications.

Autoware democratizes autonomous driving technology through open-source development and is committed to creating synergies among the world’s leading technology companies, academic/non-profit organizations and individual contributors.

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