THUAS races to the podium in the Self Driving Challenge

Universities from across the Netherlands competed with their self-developed autonomous go-karts, and THUAS secured an impressive third-place finish.

The challenge was about much more than simply building and programming a working go-kart. The software had to recognize what was happening on the track in real time and make the right decisions within fractions of a second. This required not only technical expertise but also creative thinking, teamwork, and the ability to adapt quickly.

Smart technology under pressure

This year, the organizers revealed the obstacles only 24 hours before the final. As a result, the team had to adapt, test, and refine their software under significant pressure. According to ADSAI student Henry Lau, this was exactly what made the challenge so valuable: "There are often multiple ways to solve the same problem. You discover which approach works best by building it, testing it, and continuously improving it."

Learning from unexpected challenges

The team's biggest lesson came during the race itself, when a technical issue prevented the go-kart from completing the entire course. Despite this setback, their strong performances in the other parts of the competition earned them an impressive third place.

"The biggest achievement wasn't the podium finish, but everything the team learned along the way," says Henry. "You learn the most from mistakes, and every challenge helped us better understand how software, AI, and engineering come together in practice and how to find solutions under pressure."

Learning beyond the classroom

According to Henry, the Self Driving Challenge perfectly reflects the way students learn at THUAS. "Knowledge from courses such as Computer Vision provides the foundation, but during the challenge everything comes together. We analyze data, solve unexpected problems, and justify our decisions as a team. Our lecturers also support us throughout the process, encouraging us to critically evaluate our solutions."

Henry hopes more students will take on challenges like this. "You don't just learn more about AI and software development, you also discover which applications and specializations interest you most."