Driverless racing car hits 120mph on track

Zooming around a racetrack at speeds of up to 120mph, this car handles tight turns and twisty chicanes - all without a driver. The autonomous vehicle has been developed by researchers at Stanford University, and can navigate tracks almost as fast as experienced racing drivers. Using autonomous driving algorithms, with the steering wheel automatically turning and the car speeding up and slowing down appropriately as it navigates around the course, the vehicle has managed to hit speeds of well over 100mph.

A race car driver can use all of a car’s functionality to drive fast. We want to access that same functionality to make driving safer.

Lead researcher Chris Gerdes

The car - called Shelley - took several years to create and knows exactly where it is on the road using a differential GPS system. This is more accurate than a traditional GPS system, because it corrects for interference in the atmosphere. As a result it is accurate to within two centimetres. The team is using the racing car’s development to research ways to make everyday autonomous cars safer. Last year, the self-driving car was pitted against David Vodden, an amateur touring class champion - and was faster by 0.4 of a second.

Driverless racing car