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Driverless Maserati MC20 breaks speed record, reaches 197.7 mph on NASA runway
Serving tech enthusiasts for over 25 years. TechSpot means tech analysis and advice you can trust. What just happened? A new achievement in autonomous vehicle technology unfolded at the Kennedy Space Center last month as a driverless Maserati MC20 Coupe shattered the land speed record for
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AI-powered Maserati speeds faster than a bullet train, in new self-driving world record
TL;DR: The AI-powered Maserati MC20 Cielo, developed by the Indy Autonomous Challenge and Politecnico di Milano, set a new autonomous land speed record of 197 mph at the Kennedy Space Center. This initiative aims to advance autonomous driving technology for real-world applications, transitioning
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A Self-Driving Maserati Just Hit Nearly 200 MPH
The researchers say these types of extreme feats can accelerate self-driving car development. A self-driving supercar just broke the speed record for an autonomous car by going 197.7 mph at the Kennedy Space Center. Last month's feat was a joint project between the Indy Autonomous Challenge,
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Self-driving Maserati smashes autonomous speed record
Italy has produced many of the fastest race car drivers on the planet, and now also the fastest car-driving AI. Self-driving software engineered by a team at the country's largest science and tech university has set a new record for the quickest speed achieved in an autonomous car - a blistering
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Watch this AI-driven Maserati go insanely fast for new speed record
An empty Maserati MC20 driven by an AI system recently set a new speed record for an autonomous vehicle, reaching a blistering 197.7 mph (318 kph) at Space Florida's Launch and Landing Facility at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida. Footage of the achievement (above) shows the self-driving
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This AI-driven Maserati just hit 197.7mph without a human behind the wheel
Demonstration vehicle hit almost 200mph at the Kennedy Space Center Maserati has just set a new autonomous speed record at the Kennedy Space Center in Florida, as its drop-dead gorgeous MC20 supercar hit 197.7mph without a human behind the wheel. The initiative is a partnership between the Indy
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Robot-driven Maserati MC20 sets new world speed record
The AI-backed Maserati reached 197.7 miles per hour on one of the longest runways in the world. Once regarded as a futuristic technology that would be exploited by robots to take over the world, artificial intelligence is rapidly growing in scope and capabilities. Automakers, for one, are putting
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A self-driving Maserati MC20, developed by the Indy Autonomous Challenge and Politecnico di Milano, set a new world record for autonomous vehicles by reaching 197.7 mph at NASA's Kennedy Space Center, showcasing advancements in AI-driven technology and its potential impact on future autonomous driving systems.

In a groundbreaking demonstration of autonomous vehicle technology, a driverless Maserati MC20 Coupe has set a new land speed record for self-driving cars. The event, which took place at the Kennedy Space Center last month, saw the AI-powered supercar reach an astonishing speed of 197.7 mph (318 km/h), surpassing the previous record of 192.8 mph set in April 2022
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.This remarkable achievement was the result of a collaboration between the Indy Autonomous Challenge (IAC) and Italy's Politecnico di Milano, the country's largest scientific-technological university. The test was conducted on the historic 2.8-mile runway at the Space Florida Launch and Landing Facility (LLF), formerly used for NASA Space Shuttle landings
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.The Maserati MC20, a high-performance sports car with a retail price starting at $239,000, proved to be the ideal platform for this high-speed autonomous test. Equipped with a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V-6 engine producing 621 horsepower, the vehicle was modified with Lidar, camera, and sensor technology to enable autonomous operation
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.The autonomous driving software powering the Maserati was developed by the PoliMOVE-MSU team, part of the performance division of AIDA (Artificial Intelligence Driving Autonomous) at Politecnico di Milano. This specialized team has been at the forefront of pushing the boundaries of autonomous driving technology
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.While the speed record is impressive in its own right, the significance of this achievement extends far beyond mere numbers. IAC CEO Paul Mitchell emphasized that these high-speed tests push AI-driver software and robotics hardware to their limits, with the ultimate goal of improving safety in everyday autonomous vehicles
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.By testing autonomous systems at extreme velocities, researchers can evaluate the behavior of AI drivers in challenging conditions. This knowledge can potentially lead to safer autonomous driving on highways and in urban environments. As Mitchell stated, "Doing so with a street car is helping transition the learnings of autonomous racing to enable safe, secure, sustainable, high-speed autonomous mobility on highways"
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The pursuit of autonomous driving records is not just about breaking speed barriers. It's worth noting that competitions like the DARPA Grand Challenge, funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, played a crucial role in sparking the entire self-driving car industry as we know it today
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.While the achievement of the AI-driven Maserati MC20 is remarkable, it's important to recognize that real-world applications of such high-speed autonomous driving are still limited. Few roads are long enough or straight enough to safely accommodate such speeds, even with advanced AI systems at the helm
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.However, the lessons learned from pushing these systems to their limits will undoubtedly contribute to the development of safer and more efficient autonomous vehicles for everyday use. As the technology continues to evolve, we can expect to see further advancements in the field of autonomous driving, potentially revolutionizing transportation and mobility in the years to come.
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