RIT hosts 2014 Freescale model racecar challenge

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M. Cometa

Ngoc Nguyen, a graduate of RIT’s College of Applied Science and Technology, displays the autonomous car he and classmates built using a complex system of sensors and actuators, technology used in developing “intelligent vehicles.” More cars similar to this will be competing in the annual Freescale Cup event, April 18-19 at RIT.

Fully autonomous vehicles are on the horizon. The future designers of these modernistic vehicles will be participating in the annual Freescale Cup challenge in April at Rochester Institute of Technology.

Registration is open for the regional competition, taking place April 18 and 19 in RIT’s Center for Integrated Manufacturing Studies.

The Freescale Cup is a collegiate design challenge where students build autonomous model racecars with embedded technologies, navigating their vehicles around a track at top speeds. Students are also judged on the design of the model car and their understanding of the software programming and integrated systems of hardware and sensor technologies being used.

“This is an exciting challenge where students across the globe participate and have an opportunity to learn more about interfacing hardware components and embedded systems,” said Andy Mastronardi, director Freescale University Programs. “This same technology is being used to develop intelligent cars and these students are being prepared for careers in this emerging field.”

This is the first year the regional challenge will be held at RIT, and hosted by the computer engineering department in the university’s Kate Gleason College of Engineering. More than 30 university teams from the Northeast are expected to attend. For more information about the event or to register a team, contact Mastronardi by email at andy.mastronardi@freescale.com