Indy Autonomous Challenge Returns to CES 2024 as a Featured Exhibitor Racing Under the Lights With Next Gen Autonomous Racecars

Indianapolis, IN, November 8, 2023 – The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC), the global innovator in autonomous racing, will return to CES®2024 as a featured exhibitor, pushing the boundaries of autonomous racing and showcasing the future of autonomous mobility. This highly anticipated return promises to captivate audiences with the unveiling of the IAC’s Next Gen Autonomous Racecar, along with a thrilling night race at the iconic Las Vegas Motor Speedway that will include 9 teams comprised of 17 universities from around the world.

The IAC will have a significant presence throughout CES 2024, highlighted by the Autonomous Challenge @ CES at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway under the lights on Thursday, January 11, 2024. Beyond the thrilling competition on the track, the IAC will partner with the Indiana Economic Development Corporation (IEDC) to host a major exhibition space in the Las Vegas Convention Center West Hall #5901, featuring the return of the Innovation Paddock. This showcase will spotlight the technological innovations and companies that partner with the IAC to advance the field of autonomous mobility. Additionally, the IAC will hold a Media Days press conference on Monday, January 8 to unveil its full 2024 schedule, including a historic two-stage race at the world's most renowned tracks.

A highlight of the IAC’s presence at CES this year will be the unveiling of the Next Gen Autonomous Racecar. IAC’s engineering team, based in the State of Indiana (USA), has been working with industry leading autonomous hardware and software providers to develop a new cutting-edge autonomous hardware system that will catapult the performance of the IAC’s vehicles, the world’s fastest autonomous racecars. Several global industry partners have contributed technology and engineering expertise to the IAC Next Gen Autonomous Racecar including: Bridgestone, Cisco, Continental, dSPACE, Luminar, Marelli, New Eagle, NI, VectorNav, and more.  The Next Gen IAC racecar includes several new or enhanced features, including some world’s firsts, which will be formally unveiled at CES 2024.

“Our university teams have been piloting the world’s fastest autonomous racecars in head-to-head racing for two years now and have completed more than 7,000 miles of autonomous racing. We have learned a great deal about the unique hardware and software capabilities required for extreme high-speed automation,” said Paul Mitchell, President, Indy Autonomous Challenge. “We’ve taken those learnings along with the hardware advancements made by our industry partners and developed the most advanced autonomous racecar in the world.

This cutting-edge vehicle will highlight the latest advancements in autonomous mobility, pushing the boundaries of what is possible. In an unprecedented move, the first-generation IAC racecars will take to the track at Las Vegas Motor Speedway as the sun sets, engaging in a full-fledged competition. As darkness envelops the Speedway, the Next Gen IAC racecars will be unveiled, demonstrating the pinnacle of AI driving capabilities available today. This event will be open to all CES attendees and media.

“Indiana leads the way in performance automation as we continue becoming a global destination for bold innovation,” said Salena Scardina, IEDC Executive Vice President of External Engagement. "Autonomous driving is a future-focused industry, and the Indy Autonomous Challenge is a strong collaboration of skilled workforce and industry partnership fueled in Indiana."

The IAC brings together university teams from around the world to compete in programming fully autonomous racecars. The IAC is dedicated to establishing a hub for performance automation in Indiana and attracting the brightest minds from around the globe to advance the technology and safety of automated vehicles. With its innovative competitions and groundbreaking events, the IAC continues to shape the future of autonomous mobility.

A full roster of IAC teams competing at CES can be found here.

About the IAC: The Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) organizes racing competitions among university affiliated teams representing 17 universities from around the world to program fully autonomous racecars and compete in a series of history-making events at iconic tracks. Based in Indiana, the IAC is working to establish a hub for performance automation in the state and is harnessing the power of innovative competitions to attract the best and the brightest minds from around the globe to further state-of-the-art technology in safety and performance of automated vehicles. The IAC started as a $1 million prize competition with 31 university teams signing up to compete more than three years ago, representing top engineering and technology programs from 15 U.S. states and 11 countries. Follow the IAC @IndyAChallenge on LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Facebook, &  YouTube.