Toyota Research Institute (TRI) and Stanford Engineering have made a groundbreaking achievement in autonomous driving by successfully executing the world’s first fully autonomous tandem drift sequence.
This feat, unveiled today, involves two cars autonomously drifting in tandem, a complex motorsport maneuver that enhances vehicle control in extreme conditions.
For nearly seven years, TRI and Stanford have collaborated to improve driving safety. “Utilizing AI, we can now dynamically control cars at the extremes, with autonomous tandem drifting showcasing the potential for advanced safety systems,” said Avinash Balachandran, vice president of TRI.
The initiative, conducted at Thunderhill Raceway Park in modified GR Supras, leveraged AI and neural network tire models to navigate and adapt to changing conditions. Chris Gerdes, Stanford professor, emphasized the real-world applications, noting that techniques from this project could improve vehicle control on snow or ice, potentially reducing traffic fatalities.
