When Roborace kicks off, it will be the world's first racing series for driverless cars. So far, it's promised plenty, but is yet to deliver any wheel-to-wheel driverless action. Details about the car's design have been released, but there's been no video of a driverless racer actually on the track. Until now, that is, because the Roborace team has released the first fleeting glimpses of a development mule labelled DevBot.
The Roborace series is set to run in conjunction with the 2016/2017 Formula E season. Cars will be controlled by a central Nvidia AI brain, using cameras and radar sensors to navigate the pack of all-electric racers around tight city streets.
Designed to serve as a base for teams to hone their software for the real Roborace cars, DevBot looks nothing like the futuristic Daniel Simon creation we saw earlier this year. There's a cabin to hold a driver or engineer, and none of the sensors and cameras have been covered up.
It's not designed to look pretty though, it's purpose is to give engineers invaluable information about how the car "thinks" when it's out on the track. So the DevBot is fitted with the same drivetrain, sensors, computers and communication systems as the final racer.
A fully-finished Roborace car will be make its public debut at the Formula E open practice sessions in Donington, UK, on August 24. In the meantime, check out the DevBot in action in the video below.
Source: Roborace