Eighteen teams raced their cars on the EMEA 2018 NXP Cup final track at Fraunhofer IIS with two different model kits. The 160 sq/m racetrack consisted of speed bumps, intersections, hills and curves. For four months, student teams have been assembling, programming and testing their vehicles. They each had 36 hours to test and tune their cars to the course before the decisive race.

The team “FasTech” from the University of Craiova won the competition with the model kit »Alamak«, finishing just ahead of team “Athlos” from the University of West Attica, and team “ACDT” from the Technical University of Iasi, Romania.

Team “Koala Racer” from the University of Applied Science Landshut won the competition with the model kit “Model C”. “The K-Team” from the Deggendorf Institute of Technology finished second. The third place was Team “Mac” from the University Mundiapolis from Morocco.

Each team received an NXP Cup kit that included an NXP microcontroller development board, motor driver board, chassis, and camera. Each team designed their model-size battery-powered electric car to autonomously drive a race course peppered with bumps, inclines, intersections and other obstacles. Remote control was prohibited, and students were not allowed to make any changes to the motor or chassis during the race.

In addition to participating in the competition, students got the opportunity to share their work and network with their peers, faculty, and NXP engineers, industry partners and customers.

The NXP Cup 2018/19 season

In total, more than 110 college and university teams from Europe, the Middle East and Africa registered for the NXP Cup. Enrollments for the 2018/19 season will start in September. Information is available at Matthias Wilkens (Matthias.wilkens@nxp.com).

Quotes:

“We are pleased to be the host of the EMEA final of the NXP Cup 2018. At the Cup students can learn how to apply their technical knowledge in a practical area. That makes the Fraunhofer IIS as one of the world’s leading application-oriented research institutions for microelectronic and IT system solutions and services a perfect location for the competition”.

Prof. Albert Heuberger, Executive Director of Fraunhofer IIS

“Designing autonomous model cars exposes students to core technologies that power vehicles. With the NXP Cup, future engineers learn by doing in a collaborative environment, gaining necessary skills that will help them in their careers long after they’ve graduated from university.”

Lars Reger, Automotive CTO, NXP Semiconductors

“The NXP Cup has been a great success with professors and students over the last 7 years. I have seen students coming back for more than one season as they were very excited with the learning and the networking features of this program. It is my privilege to work with the Fraunhofer IIS to help bring this to life in an event that demonstrates that talent and creativity is in the hands of the future generations of engineers and entrepreneurs”.

Flavio Stiffan, Organizer, Project Manager Stiffan Consulting