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6 Mission-critical info for UST professionals Platform one The team behind the Roborace electric autonomous race has chosen the Pascal processor from NVIDIA as the heart of the system (writes Nick Flaherty). All 20 cars for the ten teams in the races will be identical, the only difference between them being the control algorithms running on the Pascal processor. This is on the Drive PX2 board developed by NVIDIA (see UST issue 6, February/March 2016) which is also being used by Volvo. NVIDIA launched the first Pascal processors on high-end graphics cards in May 2016. The first version of the application programming interface has already been developed so that teams can start developing their algorithms and use the simulations to see how it works. The processor has 150 billion transistors and is built in a 16 nm silicon process, and will combine data from radar and Lidar sensors, 12 cameras, GPS and high-definition mapping, as well as deep learning algorithms to help the cars improve their performance the more they race. “We are living in a time where the once-separated worlds of the automobile and artificial intelligence collide with unstoppable force,” said Daniel Simon, chief design officer at race organiser Robocar. “My goal was to create a vehicle that takes full advantage of the unusual opportunities of having no driver without ever compromising on beauty. “Racing engineers and aerodynamicists have worked with me from the beginning to strike that balance. The Roborace is as much about competition as it is entertainment, so it was important to us that we generate substantial downforce without unnecessary parts cluttering the car to maintain a clean and iconic look. This is made possible largely by using the floor as the main aerodynamic device.” Driverless car racing June/July 2016 | Unmanned Systems Technology Pascal takes pole position The only difference between the Roborace competitors will be their control algorithms