The Inside Track: Our AI Future

In this special episode, we look back at some of our original predictions for 2023 as a way to reflect on where the world of autonomous racing and AI technology is in 2024. How do those predictions stack up to reality? Does what we know now about the integration with universities, industry, and government agencies match our original predictions? What more will we learn in the years to come?

The motorsports world attracts people from all walks of life. However, it’s not every day that a former rock star becomes a pioneer in the electrical vehicle space. Today on the Inside on the Inside Track, we have the honor of speaking with Rue Phillips, former guitarist for Black Sabbath and current President of EV training and implementation company SkillFusion. SkillFusion has been working tirelessly to improve the EV experience across the US and ensure that there is a reliable network of charging stations and more skilled Technicians. In this episode, we were going to learn about how Rue went from the rock and roll world to building out the future EV infrastructure grid, and why the United State’s electrical workforce needs a serious update.

Today, on the inside track, we get a chance to look at how the autonomous motorsports team from the Technical University of Munich (TUM) has been writing a manual for the world of autonomous racing. To help explain the process, Simon Hoffmann, the leader of the TUM team, sits down with us to discuss how they became the first-ever winners of the Indy Autonomous challenge, some of the obstacles they overcame to get their car on the track,  and how the team is able to have real-time conversations about the car without driver feedback.

In the words of the NASCAR legend Richard Childress, “Once you’ve raced, you never forget it…and you never get over it.” This is the most fitting quote to explain the near obsession so many students and engineers competing in the IAC develop. The intoxicating call to the racetrack easily proves there is a racing driver in all of us. Today, on the inside track, we sit down with team leader Stephanie Meyer of Autonomous Tiger Racing at Auburn University to explore this idea. At first, she didn’t feel the pull of racing in the ways that more traditional gearheads would, but as we will find out, working on the Luna car sparked the interest that has kept her on the track. Later, she discusses how to overcome the various levels of anxiety that come with sending out a car to race, even if you’re not sure the car is ready to compete. 

So far in this series, we have had so many incredible conversations with the leaders and visionaries of the autonomous revolution that it can be easy to lose sight of just how far we’ve come. Just eight years ago, some of the first commercial self-driving cars were crawling along at 10 miles per hour in California, and today, we have seen first-hand how fast these cars can go. Today, on the Inside Track, we have the honor of speaking with Professor Sergio Savaresi from the Polytechnic University of Milan. Many consider Sergio one of the grandfathers of the autonomous revolution and he has authored over 500 papers and journals on automation research. Together, we’ll reflect on how quickly self-driving cars have advanced and where the industry is heading. Later, we’ll theorize how the world of transportation might change and whether or not humans will even be allowed to drive their own cars on public roads. 

Today, on the Inside Track, we sit down with Gary Passon, the AI Racing Team Principal and leader for the University of Hawaii, to discuss how a school known for Oceanography became a leading name in robotics and engineering. The small but mighty robotics and engineering team at the University of Hawaii Manoa is not only competing at Las Vegas Motor Speedway but is beating some of the most advanced engineering teams in the world. Gary gives us insight into why the IAC is so important for the future of racing and how his team put the University of Hawaii on the global stage.

This time, on the inside track, Andy Saba joins us to discuss his role in leading a mostly undergraduate student team for the IAC. Andy Saba is a master’s student of engineering at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute and has firmly rooted himself in the world of autonomous race cars. Ryan and Paul get the inside scoop into how Andy and his team went from a few lines of code to racing an autonomous car at 150+ miles per hour.This is a two-part series.

This time, on the inside track, Andy Saba joins us to discuss his role in leading a mostly undergraduate student team for the IAC. Andy Saba is a master’s student of engineering at the Carnegie Mellon University Robotics Institute and has firmly rooted himself in the world of autonomous race cars. Ryan and Paul get the inside scoop into how Andy and his team went from a few lines of code to racing an autonomous car at 150+ miles per hour. This is a two-part series.

AI and autonomous technology are showing up in more and more industries. From banking to racing to emergency medicine, AI is giving humans a serious leg up in their work. This week Sarah Burnett, renowned technology industry analyst and author of the book The Autonomous Enterprise: Powered by AI, joins us to preach the AI gospel and explain how most industries are utilizing some form of it – even if they don’t realize it.

Alessio Cicolari is a pioneer in the world of Esports and sim racing, and the CEO and Founder of the Ak Group. In this episode of the Inside Track, Ryan and Paul sit down with Alessio to compare the challenges and triumphs of the Indy Autonomous Challenge and the various Esport racing events Alessio has experienced over the years.

The knock-on effects of new technology manifests itself in often unpredictable ways. This of course includes the autonomous technology used in the vehicles racing around the track at Indianapolis. In a truly surprising turn, these race cars are now considered a matter of national security. Today, the DoD has taken a serious interest in the IAC and how Artificial intelligence is changing the way the United States Military protects its technology and its secrets. To gain some insight, the Inside Track sits down with retired 4-Star General Gene Renuart of the U.S. Air Force Northern Command to discuss the future of military and private innovation. From Straw Hut Media

In honor of CES 2024, we’re sharing our recent discussion with Gary Shapiro, CEO of the Consumer Technology Association and co-producer of CES. Whether it’s lobbying Congress for new AI regulations, running the world’s largest consumer tech trade show, or showcasing groundbreaking new startups, Gary has been a leader in the tech industry for more than 30 years. In this episode, we break down where state and federal regulations clash, and how showcasing more positive use cases will help us prove to the general public that AI and machine learning are not as scary as they seem.

Andrea Levy teaches everyone working in motorsports a very valuable lesson, if you want people to come to auto shows you have to showcase the cars. This is exactly why Andrea Levy created the Milan Monza open-air motorshow. Ryan and Paul explore why auto shows are changing and why showcasing any new technology is the best way to generate buzz and interest in the public at large.

In this episode, Ryan Myrehn and Paul Mitchell, the President of the Indy Autonomous Challenge, have a very special guest joining them from the Indiana Economic Development Corporation. Senior Vice President David Watkins sits down to delve into the future of the automobile industry in tandem with the swift evolution of autonomous technology. The discussion revolves around how the IAC is playing a pivotal role in maintaining the United States' leadership in advanced manufacturing. Tune in for insights into the intersection of autonomous technology and the automotive landscape.

Ryan Myrehn and Paul Mitchell speak with a pioneer in autonomous vehicles, Sebastian Thrun. He's the CEO of Kitty Hawk and the founder of Google's self-driving car team, as well as an educator and co-founder of Udacity. Sebastian guides us through the future of personal flying machines, the ethics of AI, and how the work of the Indy Autonomous Challenge will make the roads safer for everyone. From Straw Hut Media

Welcome to the first episode of The Inside Track! Our host, Ryan Myrehn, chats with Paul Mitchell and Don Wettrick at the Indie Autonomous Headquarters. Today we will discuss the cutting-edge technology that inspired the Indie Autonomous Challenge, why college students who've never even driven a car before are drawn to Automotive Sports, and more importantly, Robots driving cars!VuyK4BgPZ4X4IL9WYaKd