From Formula One to Autonomous One: History, Achievements, and Future Perspectives

This letter is the first report from a series of IEEE TIV's Decentralized and Hybrid Workshops (DHWs) on Intelligent Vehicles for Education (IV4E). The role of intelligent vehicles in promoting education for all ages through autonomous racing was discussed during a recent DHW. Over the past decade, autonomous racing has emerged due to advancements in self-driving technologies. While still focused on extreme speed, autonomous racing differs from conventional automobile racing in its development philosophy, as human drivers are no longer involved. The absence of human drivers should be regarded as a new chance to increase competitiveness and entertainment value. This letter discusses opportunities to promote education-oriented autonomous racing. Recall that the flagship car race is Formula 1, where “formula” denotes technical restrictions that should be satisfied strictly. We name the new race series Autonomous 1 or A1, leveraging the power of autonomous intelligence in education. The achievements made in Formula 1 and typical autonomous races are reviewed, followed by discussions about A1’s future perspectives. Specifically, A1 needs to maintain race consistency, update rules, and provide personalized commentary to support all-age education.