Self-Driving Car Student Competition

Transforming Engineering Education Through the Self-Driving Car Student Competition

At Quanser, we’re redefining engineering education through innovation and collaboration. The Self-Driving Car Student Competition invites students from around the world to design, test, and race their own autonomy algorithms on the QCar 2. Starting in QLabs Virtual QCar 2 and transitioning to real hardware, teams bring theory to life—tackling real-world challenges such as sensor noise, lighting, and dynamic traffic. Featured at top conferences like the American Control Conference (ACC) and more, this global event transforms classrooms into launchpads for creativity, teamwork, and cutting-edge learning—empowering the next generation of engineers to drive the future of self-driving.

Please find the following series of student competitions and register for the one that most interests you:

ACC 2026

In 2026, the challenge becomes even bigger! Participants are tasked with making their algorithms operate in real time—covering all key aspects of self-driving systems, including perception, planning, control, localization, and safe decision-making, with more language options (Python, ROS, MATLAB/Simulink, etc.) and more stops along the way!

CPS-IoT Week 2026

Quanser and MathWorks are proud to host the Self-Driving Car Student Competition at CPS-IoT Week 2026 — a global event bringing together researchers, educators, and innovators in cyber-physical systems and autonomous technologies.

SMC 2026

Quanser, in partnership with the IEEE Systems, Man, and Cybernetics Society, and the University of Texas at Arlington, is proud to launch the AI-Powered Collaborative Autonomy (AICA) Challenge during IEEE SMC 2026.

This unique competition focused on developing innovative solutions for collaborative autonomous systems. The scenario features a multimodal autonomous delivery system comprising a QCar 2 (ground vehicle) and a QDrone 2 (aerial vehicle) in an urban environment. Participants will have an opportunity to design and implement delivery strategies, path planning, and control algorithms.

KFUPM SMiLE

Quanser is collaborating with ATLAB and King Fahd University of Petroleum & Minerals – introducing the self-driving car student competition to the GCC region for the inaugural KFUPM SMiLE Autonomous Mobility Hackathon!