Mapix Technologies Ltd has signed up as Platinum Sponsor of the Edinburgh University Formula Student (EUFS) Project, which aims to design, build, test and race both a manned Class 2 car and also an autonomous car in the Driverless Competition Class.
Formula Student UK (FSUK) is the world’s largest educational engineering competition, held annually at the Silverstone race track, with more than 100 teams competing from all over the world. Teams of students design, build, test and race their own cars. EUFS is the newest Scottish team, founded in September 2014, consisting of more than 60 active members and is run entirely by students.
The FSUK Driverless Competition provides a platform for EUFS to create a truly cutting-edge piece of autonomous automotive engineering. The aim is to develop a fully autonomous racing car to compete at this prestigious event in 2019. To achieve this aim EUFS have secured Mapix as their Platinum Sponsor. Mapix deliver LiDAR solutions and system integration in the fields of mapping, autonomous vehicles, industrial and robotics. Mapix will provide LiDAR equipment, mentoring, technical expertise and support to the EUFS team.
Gert Riemersma, CEO of Mapix technologies Ltd, explained, “The aims of the project obviously struck a chord with us as we work in the fields of LiDAR and autonomy. We are thrilled to support such a passionate and talented team of young people; the EUFS team encapsulate the spirit of technological innovation and we will work together to rise to the challenges presented in autonomous car engineering. As an Alumni of Edinburgh University it is great to work with current students on a project that is so closely aligned with our business.”
Ignat Georgiev, Secretary of the EUFS, confirmed, “It is a real boon to us to have the support of the Mapix team, who will provide us with specialist equipment plus invaluable advice, mentoring and support over the 18 month project.”
The students say that their primary objective is to “to transform their existing car into a completely autonomous one to compete in the Driverless Competition Class in 2019”. The EUFS team highlighted the main challenges they face including a lack of resources, budget and access to advanced technology and that to overcome these fundamental difficulties the team are drawing on resources from across the university and from the private commercial sector including Mapix.
This year’s FSUK competition will be held at Silverstone on 11-15 July.
(Picture – EUFS website)
